Son of Bowser
by FutureKing24
Summary: Bowser Jr. is preparing to take up the throne on his 18th birthday. However, strange things are happening around the Mushroom Kingdom. A new threat lingers, dreams distort reality, and Mario and Bowser have vanished! Now, Junior will have to pass the ultimate test to prove he's worthy of becoming the new king of the Koopas in this suspenseful, action-packed sequel to The Promise!
1. Prologue - The Day Bowser Surrendered

The day that ended an era began like any other.

Mario dashed through the lush open field of green on the outskirts of Toad Town one warm summer's day. It was the beginning of a quest the plumber had embarked upon nearly a hundred times before; a quest to save Princess Peach from the clutches of the evil King Bowser Koopa. Mario had arrived at the princess's castle a moment too late that morning, as Bowser was already long gone with his damsel in tow. But that hardly mattered. Mario knew the route to the Koopa Kingdom like the back of his glove by now.

Luigi, Yoshi, and Toad weren't far behind him. Yoshi was trotting close to Mario; carrying Toad on his back and leaving Luigi to bring up the rear. Being the timid coward of the group that Luigi was though, this was the position he was most comfortable with. It was the paranoia of a much distraught Toadsworth which had prompted Mario to bring his friends along in the first place. For some reason, the elder Toad was worried that this particular encounter with Bowser was going to end differently than all the other ones before it. When asked to elaborate on his suspicions, Toadsworth could only explain it as something he "could feel rattling in his bones." So, he urged the plumber to exercise a greater degree of caution this time around. Toadsworth's suspicions made it all the more difficult to convince Luigi to tag along, but Mario himself wasn't so sure that this particular journey was going to amount to anything out of the ordinary.

Despite the sheer distance, the journey didn't feel as long as it used to for Mario. The route was quite familiar and routine by now; borderline boring in fact. The group dove inside warp pipes, vaulted over hilltops, sprinted across dusty deserts, and swam through treacherous waters until at last, they closed in on their destination. Mario had made this trip so many times that he'd since developed shortcuts, which got them here in half the time.

"I wonder what lousy scheme Bowser's planning this time," Toad wondered aloud. Mario and Yoshi looked at one another and shrugged

"Whatever it is, it bad medicine for princess," Yoshi guessed.

"It'll be bad medicine for the whole _kingdom_ if we don't put a stop to it," Luigi corrected. Even though no one in the group had the faintest idea what exactly they were going to encounter in the heart of the fiery molten canyon just ahead, that was hardly a call for concern. At least, that was how Mario looked at it. After all these years of conflict, Bowser had yet to throw something too insurmountable or impossible for Mario to ultimately overcome. In fact, with the added assistance of his friends, this job had potential to be even easier than usual.

The group hopped across a small chasm and entered the treacherous borders of Inferno Canyon; the domain of the dreaded Koopa Kingdom. They had no intention of slowing down until a small creature dove into their path out of nowhere. Their boots grinded against the soot-coated gravel as they came to a screeching halt. The creature now standing in front of them was a just a bit shorter than Mario; its entire body was cloaked under a teal blue robe and hood, resembling a monk or a priest of some kind. Making out the creature's identity was made even more difficult thanks to an eerie, white expressionless Shy Guy mask where a face should've been. This creature appeared to be too large to be a typical Shy Guy. So why was it dawning a signature mask of the species?

"You are…Mario, are you not?" the creature spoke in a deep, male voice. Staring blankly at the mysterious man, Mario nodded. The man kneeled before him in response to this confirmation. "It is an honor make your acquaintance. You may call me…Contemno. I have heard a great deal about you.

"Yeah well, it's nice to meet you too, mister. But we're…kinda in a hurry here," Toad interjected.

"Ah, forgive me," Contemno replied. "You are going to confront King Bowser, the scourge of your kingdom, yes?"

"That's right," Toad affirmed. "So if you could just step aside, that'd be great."

"Rest assured, my intention is not to impede your progress. Quite the opposite, actually. You see, I have journeyed a great distance with the hopes that I might…accompany you on your journey to Bowser's castle." Mario and Luigi exchanged confused, yet curious glances. Toad rolled his eyes and kicked at Yoshi's thighs; urging him to start moving. To his dismay, the dinosaur was just as curious to hear their new acquaintance out.

"…Why Contemno want go there? It dangerous!" said Yoshi.

"Let's just say that the terrible monster known as Bowser stole something from me. I have traveled far from the land I call home; seeking to reclaim it from him."

"Oh!" Mario responded as his face lit up slightly. The plumber could never turn down helping those who had been wronged by his nemesis. But it was rare for Mario to come across someone who actively wanted to get back at the Koopa King directly. Usually, they just asked Mario to do it _for_ them.

"It would be an honor if you would permit me to join your entourage," said Contemno.

"Gee…I dunno," Luigi inserted as he looked to Mario with skeptical eyes. "Our little party's kinda full as it is…"

"Rest assured, I will not stand in your way. In fact, I may even be of some assistance to you in the battle that awaits." Despite some lingering doubts, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi were admittedly growing more and more curious as the conversation progressed. Toad on the other hand, was losing his mind.

"Nope. Sorry. I'm agreeing with Luigi on this one. Party's full, pal. Come back next adventure," Toad denied. "Oof!" he uttered as Yoshi roughly nudged him in the chest with his elbow.

"There no need to be rude, Toad!"

"You see, I am a mage; gifted in the enchanted arts," Contemno continued. He waved one gloved hand in front of the group and a trail of purple stardust followed it through the air. "Our goals are alike, but I will not be a burden to you. Of that, you have my word." The man concluded his proposition with a bow. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi exchanged nods and grins.

"Okey-dokey!" Mario agreed.

"Excellent! Then let us make haste," Contemno declared. With their new friend in tow, Mario and company continued their quest.

Deep in the heart of the castle, on one end of the narrow stone bridge overlooking the pit of lava, stood Bowser. He shot a glare at Mario's group, who was positioned on the opposite end of the bridge. The heroes exchanged determined glances, collectively nodded, and sprung into action. Bowser snorted smoke, then steeled himself for the fight at hand.

Taking a deep breath, Bowser launched a series of fire balls from his mouth. Yoshi leaped into the air and managed to catch one with his tongue. While the dinosaur was still airborne, Toad abandoned his ride and flew straight over the Koopa King's head. To his luck, Bowser was completely enthralled with keeping the others at bay and failed to notice the maneuver. Capitalizing on this moment, Toad hurried up the staircase of the tower ahead where Peach was being imprisoned.

When Yoshi landed on the bridge, he spat the shot of fire back towards its original owner. Bowser narrowly evaded the shot in time. Suddenly, he was greeted by Mario, who was charging straight toward him. The two rivals clashed at the bridge's center. They each threw punch after punch in rapid succession. However, both were also ducking out of the way and blocking, so neither combatant was able to land a direct hit. Still, they were equally persistent. Mario and Bowser's hand-to-hand confrontation shook the bridge beneath their feet. The structure started to tremor and small pieces of it slowly broke off as the battle raged on. Yoshi and Luigi were struggling to keep their balance as they tried to cross over towards Bowser's end.

The Koopa King attempted to stomp on Mario, but the plumber stepped back in response. The sheer power in Bowser's foot sent a stronger quake across the entire bridge. Yoshi was caught off-guard by this development as it bucked him off the bridge. Contemno stepped forward in the nick of time and casted a levitation spell to try and rescue the dinosaur before he met a fiery end. He was successful as Yoshi was engulfed by a purple aura that carried him back onto solid ground.

Just before Mario and Bowser had depleted the last of their stamina, the former smirked confidently. The Koopa King took notice of this and was puzzled by it.

"What're _you_ smiling about, plumber?" Bowser asked. "This fight's not over yet!"

"Actually, it is," Contemno corrected. He pointed a gloved finger and directed Bowser to look behind him. Confused, the Koopa King turned his head in time to witness Luigi grab the axe, which had been positioned at the edge of the bridge behind him. Before Bowser could process when Luigi had managed to sneak past him, the younger plumber swung the weapon like a golf club and slashed through the chains that were suspending the bridge in mid-air. The structure began to crumble and gradually sprinkle itself into the lava below. Luigi jumped high into the air. Mario met his brother halfway in his landing as he caught Luigi's feet, then pushed him back up into the air so the plumber could make it the rest of the way across the bridge. He landed next to Contemno.

"Hustle, bro! Hustle!" Luigi exclaimed.

Mario attempted to outrun the collapsing bridge, but it was too fast and the ground caved in directly below him. Yoshi managed to wrap his tongue around Mario's wrist and reeled him safely back up towards him and onto his back. He carried Mario over to stable ground where Luigi and Contemno waited. Bowser wasn't fortunate enough to have any friends coming to his own aid though. In a last ditch effort to save himself, he reached out and managed to grab one of the chains that was still attached to the cliff. The Koopa King was now dangling for dear life, but he was safe for the moment. He gritted his teeth as he watched the last of the bridge drop into the lava.

"Hey!" a sweet, feminine voice chirped from above.

Once the heroes managed to catch their breath, they looked up in time to see Peach and Toad gliding safely down towards them with the princess's parasol. They shared a celebratory group hug when she landed; thrilled that Peach was safe from harm. The princess distributed a smile to each of her close friends, then took notice of the lone unfamiliar face in the group.

"Oh! I don't believe we've met before. Who are you?" she asked. Contemno faced her and bowed.

"Forgive my silence, your highness. I am Contemno," the mage replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you from the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Actually, I have traveled a great distance from a faraway kingdom of my own. I came with intentions of aiding Mario in your rescue."

"My, how noble of you! You have my sincerest gratitude," said Peach as she curtsied elegantly. "But, how do you know Mario, if you don't mind my asking?"

"His feats are quite extraordinary. Word of his heroism and courage has traveled far. Although, I must say, I wasn't surprised to see for myself that the stories are true. Mario is certainly a treasure, and you are very fortunate to have him," Contemno praised. She couldn't see it behind the mask, but somehow Peach was confident that he was smiling as he said that. The princess smiled warmly herself. Mario blushed and rubbed his neck when he noticed Peach observing him.

"Yes, we certainly are," she agreed. "Since you've traveled all this way, would you like to return to my castle with us? The least I can do is invite you to partake in our celebration and offer you a place to rest for the night."

"I'm afraid not, m'lady," the mage denied. "In fact if I may be so bold, I believe there is a more _pressing_ matter for us to tend to instead." Everyone else's face grew puzzled at this.

Contemno turned away from his acquaintances. They followed the gaze of his mask, where they saw Bowser clawing his way back up onto the ledge at the other end of the chasm. Contemno quickly lunged one step forward and thrusted his palms outward in front of him. Suddenly, two purple chains shot out from an aura engulfing his hands and raced across the space between the cliffs. The chains swiftly constricted around Bowser's body like serpents and tied his arms to his sides. Contemno then took a step back and sharply retracted the chains. They pulled Bowser in tow high through the air and over towards the group. The Koopa King landed with a thud in front of them. Mario and his friends took a step back.

"Contemno…w-what are you doing?" Peach asked nervously.

"Something I cannot believe your kingdom has gone _this_ long without doing," Contemno replied rather harshly all of a sudden. Bowser came to and sat up. He struggled a bit, but couldn't break free of the chains. Just what were they made of?

"Hey!" Bowser barked. "What the heck's going on here!?" He glared at Contemno. "Who's this freak?"

"Contemno…wait!" Peach exclaimed. "What are you thinking!?" Contemno flicked his wrists. The chains shuffled up Bowser's body and tightened their grip around the Koopa King's neck. Sounds of choking and painful coughing erupted from Bowser's gaping mouth. He clutched and tugged at the chains with his claws, but couldn't loosen them.

"It's quite simple, princess! I will slay this beast by squeezing out every last _breath_ of his! It is what he _deserves_ for all of his misdeeds! Justice is at-hand!" Contemno declared manically.

"Hold on a second!" Toad interjected in a panic. "We all know Bowser's a bad guy, but that doesn't mean he deserves… _this_! Let him go!"

"Toad's right!" Peach exclaimed. "I don't know what Bowser did to make you hate him so much, but please! This isn't the answer!" Bowser continued to choke and gasp for air. His eyes were gradually bulging out of his head, and his face was steadily turning blue.

"This tyrant stole my kingdom from me! So now I must take his life in return!"

"That no fair at all!" Yoshi cried. Mario had seen more than enough. He straightened his cap and rushed over towards Contemno. The mage anticipated his approach. Out of nowhere, a towering wall of purple aura appeared and separated Mario from Contemno. The plumber punched the wall as hard as he could, but couldn't break through it.

"Are you all really so content with Bowser constantly throwing your kingdom into chaos!?" Contemno shouted. "The only way this charade will end, is to _him_!" Bowser keeled over onto his shell as his coughing and gurgling grew fainter. His time was rapidly running out by the second.

"We'll figure out some other kind of punishment!" Peach offered.

"Y-yeah! She's right!" Luigi agreed hysterically. "J-just stop already! Let him go!" Hesitating slightly, but without uttering another word, Contemno dropped his arms to his sides as the chains and barrier vanished into thin air. Bowser inhaled deeply with full intention of sucking up the entire planet's supply of oxygen at once. His face returned to its normal color, and he laid there on the ground to steady his breathing. Several minutes of silence passed. The group was too horrified by what they had just seen to say anything.

"Contemno…we understand what you're saying," Peach spoke at last. "We'll do something about Bowser. But please, leave the matter of his punishment to _us_." Contemno stood frozen. His mask peered off into the distance, but he remained silent. The group was collectively on edge about what Contemno would do next.

"Princess Toadstool…," the mage spoke at last. "If you truly love your kingdom, then do what is best for it. Ensure that this beast will never harm you or anyone else ever again." He lifted his hand slowly. Mario and the others flinched and prepared themselves for some sort of attack. But nothing came. Instead, a standard, metallic chain suddenly materialized in Contemno's hand. He approached Bowser and connected one end of the chain to the spiked collar around Bowser's neck. The Koopa King was too weak at that moment to retaliate. He simply sat there on his hands and knees and wheezed as Contemno chained him up like a dog. Then, he tossed the other end of the chain on the ground in front of Peach and walked away without another word. In one final flash of purple aura, Contemno disappeared.

Mario picked up the chain and stared at Peach; a certain unease in his eyes. Her's weren't inspiring any more confidence. Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi approached them cautiously.

"Who _was_ that guy…?" Toad asked. Peach shook her head, but she persistently eyeballed the place where Contemno last stood a moment ago.

"I don't know. But I don't think we should wait for another opportunity to find out…," she declared.

"So…what do we do now then, princess?" Luigi inquired.

Peach looked over at Bowser. His claws were twitching and his entire body trembled. His breathing had slowed down to normal, but Bowser was now mumbling something hysterically; although she couldn't make out what he was trying to say. The Koopa King's bloodshot eyes were filled with a sinister, primitive fear. He resembled a wild, wounded animal who was ready to strike; his mind locked in fight-or-flight mode. She had never seen him look so distressed. Mario and the others gathered around their princess as they waited for her direction, but she hesitated to speak. As Contemno's ambitions and final words engraved themselves into her memory, she knew what she had to do next. But she took no pleasure in it, even if it was for the best.

* * *

Prince Bowser Jr. sat alone peacefully at his desk. He kicked his feet gleefully and his tiny claw guided a blue crayon as it raced frantically across the paper and filled in the sky of his drawing. The picture was nearly finished, but the little Koopa still felt compelled to hurry. The end of the school day was drawing near, and he knew his dad would be here any minute to pick him up. Junior looked up for a moment and examined the cubby area by the door where his book bag was resting. He was thankful that he had remembered to pack up his things immediately after lunch so he could work on his drawing right up until the last bell.

Unfortunately, the time came just a moment before Junior could put in the finishing touches. As the school bell chimed and echoed through the halls of the school, the little Koopa hopped out of his chair and stuffed the drawing into his book bag to finish later as he walked out the door. As he made his way to the designated pick-up curb, Junior was surprised to spot not his father, but instead Larry and Roy Koopa seated in a Clown Car and waiting for him.

"…Larry?" Junior called out.

"Oh…hey, small fry! Over here!" the blue-haired Koopaling exclaimed cheerfully as he waved his hand in the air to signal the Koopa Prince over. Junior climbed into the vehicle and set his bag down on the floor near his feet.

Something seemed…off about Larry.

Junior noticed Larry's claw trembling as the latter twisted the key and started up the aircraft. "D-did you have a good day at school?" Larry asked. He could feel beads of sweat slowly rolling down the side of his head.

"What're _you_ guys doing here?" Junior asked. "Where's my dad?"

"He uhh….asked _us_ to come get you instead," Larry answered.

"…Why?"

"Why? Well….uhh…why not? I mean, we're practically your brothers, right? Can't we do something nice for you for a change?"

Something was _definitely_ wrong, but Junior wasn't exactly sure what it was. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Larry, what's goin' on? What's my dad doing that's so important that he couldn't come get me? And why are you acting all weird?" Roy stretched out in the backseat, put his feet up on the rim of the air craft, and folded his arms behind his head to relax.

"I told ya he'd know somethin' was up, Larry," Roy commented. "Just tell Junior before we get there. He oughta know 'bout this more than any of us." Larry turned his neck and glared at Roy.

"…Know about what?" Junior interjected. All of this vague talk was starting to make him nervous. He looked down over the edge of the Clown Car at the kingdom below. It was then that Junior realized that it wasn't taking them back to Bowser's castle. In fact, he didn't recognize this route. The little Koopa sharply turned back to Roy. "Know about _what_ , Roy!? What's going on!? Where are we going!?" Larry finally glanced over at Junior. His face looked pale.

"Something happened to your dad…," Larry answered at last. "We're on our way to go check on him." The color practically drained from Junior's face and he could feel his stomach growing upset. The little Koopa was worried his lunch was about to come back up as he wracked his brain and tried to guess what could've happened.

The entire rest of the trip was a blur. He didn't understand why the Clown Car was landing outside of Princess Peach's castle. Why would they come _here_ of all places if Bowser was in some kind of danger? Junior said nothing as Larry and Roy led him inside. He barely noticed the Toads guarding the doors, who miraculously allowed them to just pass through and enter. Was he dreaming? He _had_ to be dreaming. They'd never come within 50 feet of this castle before without some kind of armed battleship. Yet here they were waltzing through the front door now; almost as if the trio were being expected. Junior's heartbeat accelerated and his breaths grew shorter with every step. By this point, he was practically trembling from head to toe. The sunlight that was shining through the windows was blinding. The castle around him was fading in and out of focus and starting to spin around him. He couldn't process anything that was happening in that moment. Junior wanted to scream, but he was worried no one would hear him.

The trio hastily ascended the staircase and burst through a set of double doors on the second floor. Inside, several individuals were seated around a large, sprawling wooden table. But Junior was drowning too deeply in his anxiety to make out who these individuals were. Mario was standing against the wall nearby with his arms crossed. To Junior's surprise, the plumber barely moved when he saw them enter. It was as if he and… _everyone_ in the castle for that matter…had been waiting for them.

"ALRIGHT, WHERE IS HE!?" Roy shouted. The occupants of the table's many chairs all glanced over to acknowledge the outburst, but no one said anything. Junior gripped Larry's hand tightly. He didn't understand why he was so frightened and on the brink of fainting, but having a familiar hand to cling on to helped ever so slightly. "ANSWER ME, YOU DIRTBAGS!" The Koopaling gritted his teeth. "WHERE'S OUR KING!?"

"Follow me," a voice spoke from behind. Junior, Larry, and Roy turned around to find Peach standing in the doorway behind them. Her entire body was draped in remorse. Junior glanced up at the princess's troubled face and swore that she was on the verge of vomiting. "I'll take you to him."

Peach led the trio down into a dungeon deep in the heart of the castle's underground basement. The cobblestone floor was damp and freezing under their bare, padded feet. The series of torches attached to the wall provided just enough light to see the narrow corridor ahead. None of them ever knew this castle even _had_ a dungeon. Due to the princess's sweet and tender-hearted nature, she must've never had a reason to use it. At least, up until now anyway.

As she descended the stairs, Peach's mind replayed the ordeal that had brought her to this point.

 _Bowser jerked and struggled as Mario pulled on the chain leash. Luigi, Yoshi and Toad stepped in to give Mario support. Bowser roared and discharged streams of fire wildly as he tried to shake the trio loose.  
_  
 _"NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING ME ANYWHERE!" the Koopa King screamed. "LET GO! LET GO! **LET GO**!" Peach stood off to the side and watched in horror as Bowser was engulfed by his most primitive animal instincts._

Eventually, the tunnel-like hallway expanded into a much larger room. Half of the room was completely blocked off by a row of tall iron bars that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and stood closely next to one another. It was too dark to tell what was waiting inside the cage.

 _Bowser dug his claws deep into the ground as he was dragged through the forest. The group was growing exhausted, but they willed themselves to journey on. Surely, even a powerhouse like Bowser would run out of steam eventually. Mario and crew simply had to outlast him.  
_  
 _"WHEN I…GET OUT OF THIS…YOU'RE ALL DEAD MEAT!" Bowser huffed. " **DEAD**. **MEAT**. YOU HEAR ME!?"_

Junior gripped Larry's hand tighter, but now Larry himself was appreciating the intimate contact as his own nerves started to flounder. If Junior's anxiety weren't running so rampant at that moment, he might've felt inclined to ask why Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Lemmy, and Ludwig von Koopa were all standing around the room silently. Kammy Koopa was also standing with them, and she looked as though she were dying to say something to Junior, but couldn't for some reason.

 _Using the last of their strength, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Yoshi shoved Bowser into the prison cell and slammed the door shut before he could stand up and retaliate. The Koopa King furiously punched at everything he could see. The bars, the walls, the ceiling, the floor. He punched and kicked and rammed his shoulder against every surface; praying something would eventually give. He accumulated bruise after bruise; scratch after scratch. Bowser wiped the blood away and blew as much fire as he could. The flames bounced off and occasionally burned him. The Koopa King roared and wheezed as he resumed his fruitless attacks._

 _"YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Bowser exclaimed. "MY TROOPS…WILL COME LOOKING FOR ME! ALL OF THEM! YOU'LL BE SORRY!" Mario and the others reluctantly ignored Bowser's threats as they exited the room. "YOU…WANNA BE THE ONES TO TELL JUNIOR…WHERE HIS DAD IS!? BE MY GUEST! BUT WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE….NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE! **NONE** OF YOU! YOU'LL ALL PAY! YOU HEAR ME!? **YOU'LL** … **ALL** … **PAAAAYY**!" The Koopa King's tantrum radiated through the corridor and up to the higher levels of the castle. The inhabitants sat silently as they listened to a muffled echo of Bowser's screams and shouts coming from the dungeon below. The wait that ensued next was bound to be the longest and most painful one that any of them had ever endured._

Peach didn't say anything, nor did she move a muscle. She simply stood off to the side near the wall, and the shame in her eyes explained why she refused to look at any of the Koopas in the room. Roy wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next since their guide wasn't doing anything. Were they supposed to approach the prison cell? Was this a trap designed to kill off the three of them too? Junior was most likely assuming the worst by now. Would such fears be realized by looking through the bars?

"He's in there…," Peach spoke at last as she pointed towards the cage in front of them.

"Is he…?" Larry started. He gulped and found himself too horrified to finish his question. To his and Roy's surprise, it was Junior who approached the cage first. The little Koopa gripped the bars in his claws and peered into the void on the other side.

"…Dad?" Junior muttered. The jingling of chains echoed within the shadows ahead, followed by heavy pounding. Whatever was dwelling in the darkness was moving; responding to Junior's voice. A large silhouette stumbled into view. When it finally reached the light from the wall torches, Junior's heart froze.

"Junior…," the prisoner spoke in a broken, raspy tone.

It was Bowser, but he was a mere shell of his usual self.

He was battered, bruised, and covered in dust and dried blood. Bowser's red hair was in shambles and his eyelids drooped low over his soulless eyes. The Koopa King looked like a zombie; as though he had been suffering in this cage for weeks. Junior's eyes flooded with tears upon seeing his father in such a terrible state.

"DAD!" Junior cried. He pressed his whole body tightly against the bars and wept as he reached through them with all his might; desperate to feel Bowser's touch. Bowser tenderly grasped Junior's tiny claws in his own and stepped closer. He then patted Junior's head gingerly and held him as closely to his chest as the bars would allow.

"Hey…hey...easy now. Easy…," Bowser cooed softly. "Everything's fine, Junior. I'm okay…" Roy gritted his teeth once more.

"…WHAT THE HELL DID YOU _**DO**_ TO HIM!?" Roy exclaimed.

"He put up a struggle on the way here. But that's all," Peach answered. "We didn't harm him in any way. You have my word."

"AND YOU EXPECT US TO **_BELIEVE_** THAT CRAP!?" the pink-headed Koopaling objected. "THIS IS LOW, PRINCESS! **_REAL_** LOW! I GUESS ALL THAT DAINTY DAMSEL IN DISTRESS STUFF WAS JUST AN ACT, HUH!?" Peach's eyes wandered away from him and she folded her arms as if to shield herself from the verbal onslaught. Larry was shocked that none of his siblings were echoing Roy's sentiment through outbursts of their own right now. What had happened moments earlier? What did Peach tell them that had made them all so calm? What did they know that Junior, Roy, and he himself did not? Why was it keeping them quiet like this?

"Dad…w-what's going on!?" Junior wept. "W-why are they doing this t-to you!? I don't….I don't understand, Dad!" Bowser continued to caress his child's face, but he knew that this would do little to calm Junior down unless he spoke up once more. However, his throat ached from shouting so much earlier, and it pained him to speak. Damn it all. There was so much he wanted to tell Junior at that moment that he physically couldn't. He'd worn himself out.

"I never wanted it to come to this…," Peach spoke softly. "Believe me. I wish there had been another way. But I just didn't have a choice."

"What do you mean?" Larry asked.

"Please…try to understand; all of you," she began. "This has to stop. I can't let Bowser kidnap me anymore. I'm a princess. I have to do what's best for my people; for my kingdom…" Peach placed her hands over her heart. "…and for myself as well." Junior left his father's side and glared at the princess.

"W-why can't you j-just say 'yes', then!?" he exclaimed. "W-why...why can't you just marry my dad!? T-then we wouldn't have to…to keep kidnapping you!" The little Koopa clenched his fists as his tears continued to pour from his eyes like bath water. It took everything he had to control his trembling. "T-then…then we could finally be happy!" Peach approached Junior slowly and kneeled down to his level. She wrapped her arms around him and lovingly pulled him in towards her chest as he sobbed. Her hug felt warm, and her perfume smelt pleasantly of lavender. The little Koopa tried desperately to cling on to his resentment towards Peach. But her affectionate gesture was winning him over. He tugged slightly to break free, but the nurturing softness of her hug was too strong; too overpowering. It didn't help either that his broken heart had already been draining him of the strength to resist.

"Junior…," she whispered soothingly. "I swear to you that I will not harm your father. He's going to be alright. I'm going to need him to stay here for a little while. But you can come visit him whenever you want; every day if you'd like." She let Junior go so he could step back and let her words sink in. He wiped away the snot from his nose with his arm. His eyes were still glistening with tears and the little Koopa was persistently sniffing away his sadness. But the hug had pacified him ever so slightly.

"You mean…you're not going to…," Larry swallowed his fear as he forced himself to complete his thought this time. "…execute him?"

"Heavens no," Peach denied. "I could never live with myself if I did something terrible like that." Junior and the Koopalings all looked at her. "I want to _help_ Bowser. I just know there's good inside of him. That's why, if you would all allow it…I'd like to keep Bowser here and…try to reform him." The group hesitated. No one had an immediate response. None of them were entirely certain if Peach was requesting this or enforcing it. "With any luck, I want to help him change into a better person, so we can all live together peacefully. If he's willing to cooperate, then I can overlook the past and we can start over; all of us, as friends." Junior looked back at Bowser, who was now slumped against the wall of his cell. His bloodshot eyes looked incredibly far away, and his entire body was undoubtedly exhausted from this entire ordeal.

"You'll…take good care of him…right?" Lemmy inquired nervously.

"Of course. We'll start slow. I'll give him as much time and space as he needs, and I'll personally work with him until he feels comfortable and safe here. I don't want him to feel like a prisoner. If he starts to come around, he'll be moved out of this dusty old dungeon and he may even get his own room here in the castle," Peach explained. "In the meantime, you are all more than welcome to come here and visit Bowser. In fact, that might be good for him if you do. Having all of you around, you especially Junior, might help him feel less lonely." Kammy Koopa surveyed the room.

"Well, what do you think, gang? Should we give this a try?" Each of the Koopalings gave a hesitant, but ultimately trusting nod of approval to the proposal. Junior however, refused to give any sort of answer. He folded his arms and kicked at the dust on the ground. As far as he was concerned, this was never going to work.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**  
 _Long time, no see! It's been over a year since I completed my last story: The Promise. But I'm proud to announce that I'm finally back with a brand new project titled "Son of Bowser"! This will be a sequel set 10 years into the future after the conclusion of the previous story. As you can tell, the chapters will be considerably longer in length than before. So, it'll take me a bit more time to get each one done. But I hope you are all looking forward to what's coming next. I have an ambitious tale that I can't wait to share!_


	2. Bitter Work

_10 years later…_

Wandering through the desolate and decrepit castle ruins, Contemno's mask concealed his face not only from the chilly evening air, but from any prowling eyes as well. He had journeyed a great distance, but the prize he sought was close; very close. After a thorough investigation of the grounds, he discovered his target: a tall, cylindrical pillar of ice. The chilled air of the land had been keeping this structure in pristine condition from when it had first formed in the aftermath of a conflict many years prior.

"Finally…" said Contemno. He placed his gloved hand upon the side of the structure. Summoning forth a sinister, dark magic, the ice began to melt when it came into contact with the purple aura radiating from the glove. The creature suspended inside the ice became animate once more. It was a large, blue pig-armadillo hybrid creature with a brown, furry back and a crown upon its head. Once the pig creature was completely free of its ice prison and returned to consciousness, it stared silently at its liberator for a moment. "You are Blizzard Midbus, correct?" The creature glared at Contemno for a moment.

"Who want know?" Midbus inquired. "Why you set Midbus free?"

"A friend, and a prospective partner," Contemno answered. "I require your services." Midbus folded his arms and snorted.

"Do Midbus look like genie to you? You no get wishes. No matter that you free Midbus."

"There is a matter I need you to assist me with," the mage clarified. Midbus stared down at the mysterious man. With his face concealed by a mask, reading Contemno's expression was impossible, as was determining any ulterior motives that might've been hiding in his eyes.

"What?"

"We have a common enemy. The same one who imprisoned you here many years ago." Midbus's eyes practically lit up upon hearing that. He snorted again and clenched his fists.

"Listening…"

"Follow me. There is much work to be done." Contemno turned away and prepared to depart. Hesitating slightly, Midbus ultimately decided to follow his mysterious new acquaintance.

* * *

Right jab! Left jab! Block! Jump! Dodge!

Junior's bedroom was erupting with adrenaline late one evening as he and Larry were enthralled in a heated match of the video game ARMS for Nintendo Switch. The two Koopas swung their Joycon controllers left and right in their hands as they mimicked their fantasy boxer characters on-screen. Neither combatant was willing to hold back for even a second. After all, there could be only one victor.

"I've got you this time!" Junior boldly declared.

"I don't think so!" Larry contested. "You're gonna have to step up your game, squirt!" The pair stomped their feet and nearly collided with one another as they swung their arms madly. Beads of sweat rained down from each Koopa's forearms.

"Yeah? Watch _this_!" Junior exclaimed as he threw a final, decisive punch. Larry smirked and maneuvered his character to dodge the attack; countering with a finishing punch of his own. The blow was incredibly brutal when it landed. Junior's character was down for the count, and Larry was once again declared the winner.

"Yesss!" the Koopaling celebrated.

"Aww, man!" Junior complained. "No fair! One more rematch! Double or nothing! Come on! Next time, you're mine!"

"Junior, you've been saying that for two hours now," Larry reminded him with a chuckle. "Give it up already. You can't beat me at this game."

"Yes I can!" the prince argued. "What kind of Koopa would I be if I gave up in a real fight just because it was getting tough?"

"Well…a stubborn one. I'll give you that," Larry answered smugly. "I'm sure Ludwig would be more impressed with you if you were as devoted to your magic training as you are to playing video games." Junior leaped back onto his bed nearby and groaned.

"Ugh, don't remind me! Tomorrow's my last day to practice before he and Kammy put me through their stupid 'final exam,'" Junior rambled. Larry reached for a washcloth on the shelf and wiped his forehead. His blue and white t-shirt was practically drenched with sweat from his intense game with Junior. He turned off the Switch and placed the Joycon controllers on the shelf next to the television.

"So? You've been practicing all week with Ludwig, right?" Junior scratched his chest with his claw and stretched his legs out on the bed to get comfortable.

"Well yeah, but I still don't get why I have to learn all these dumb spells before my coronation. I mean, did my dad have to learn all this junk too? I've never seen him use a single spell in my entire life!"

"It's probably just for tradition's sake," Larry responded. "You know how old people are. They're so wrapped up in their dusty old books that they wouldn't see a bullet bill if it were rocketing straight towards 'em." Junior agreed in silence as he eyeballed the ceiling. The blue-haired Koopaling was preparing to exit the bedroom when Junior spoke once more.

"Larry?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I'm…ready for this?"

"For what?"

"You know…being a king." Larry folded his arms and leaned back; pressing his shell against the wall. He made his first real examination of Junior that night upon hearing this. Just from glancing at him, Larry could immediately tell that his baby brother wasn't such a baby anymore; physically anyway.

Junior was now much larger than the seven-year old Koopa of yesterday. Junior's arms and legs were much more prominent and developed - though he was still on the shorter side - and they became bulkier as his muscles had grown in. His horns stretched out to a respectable length, though they were still not quite as long or as sharp as Bowser's. The same could be said for the spikes on his shell, and the claws on his fingers and toes. His voice had gotten deeper, though it still cracked every now and then as the prince hadn't quite finished going through puberty yet.

The top of Junior's head was populated by a greater abundance of frizzy red hair with a small portion of it kept in a top-knot; paying homage to the hairstyle he sported as a kid. As was common for most male Koopas, Junior had put on weight over the years. His baby fat had simply transitioned into the adolescent equivalent and Junior was now rather chubby, though not obese. He had noticeable size in his gut and cheeks. Larry and the others tried not to mention Junior's size or weight as they knew these were things that he was sensitive about, despite Bowser's constant reassurance that this change was natural for male Koopas his age to go through. Larry couldn't believe how much Junior had grown and changed in 10 years. He was dragged back into the conversation when he noticed the red irises of Junior's eyes staring into his own; awaiting a response.

"Sure you are. I mean, you've been studying and training for a long time, right? Don't you feel ready for all that hard work to pay off?" Junior's bushy red eyebrows narrowed together as intense thought engulfed his expression.

"I guess so. But Dad keeps going on and on about how much responsibility and work I'm going to be taking on," Junior explained. "He makes me feel like I'm never going to be ready." Larry shrugged.

"Don't think too much about it. I'm sure he's just anxious. You probably are too. You'll feel better when you stop talking about it, and start actually _doing_ it," Larry reasoned.

"Yeah, maybe…," Junior replied as he yawned and turned to lay on his side; facing away from Larry.

"Just get some sleep, small fry. Everything will be better in the morning." Junior turned back over onto his other side to face Larry.

"When are you going to stop calling me that?"

"I told you, when you're as tall as me," Larry joked. Junior groaned at this answer.

"Sooo…never, then?" Larry grinned smugly and winked.

"Exactly! G'night!" Larry turned off the light and closed the door on his way out. Junior rolled his eyes and settled in under the blankets as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Junior descended the staircase and entered the kitchen to prepare his breakfast. Despite the constant objections from the royal chef, Junior insisted that he was capable of feeding himself now and didn't always need someone to cook for him. The prince knew this upset the chef as it made the latter feel helpless at times, but Junior remained firm.

He opened the cabinet to pull out a ceramic bowl, then snatched up the box of Super Mario cereal on the neighboring shelf. Approaching the refrigerator to grab the carton of milk inside, Junior stopped when he saw a piece of paper attached to the door with a magnet.

 _Junior,_

 _Had to get an early start this morning. Council insisted this one was urgent. Should be back later tonight. Train hard today, kiddo!_

 _Love,_

 _Bowser_

Junior sighed and opened the fridge to retrieve the milk. He sat alone at the table in the silence of the dining room and stared into his cereal for a moment, which was floating in the milk. This was the fifth time this week he was eating alone. But Junior understood that Bowser had an obligation he needed to fulfill now. He was still being forced against his free will to do extensive community service to the Mushroom Kingdom in order to atone for his many crimes. But even if he wasn't, Bowser was still going to need something to do once his son inherited the throne in a few days. Quiet retirement at his age was out of the question. So if nothing else, this work kept Bowser busy; even though he was away from home more often than Junior liked. _There better be some kind of pay-off for all of this, Dad._ Junior thought to himself. _Whatever you're getting in return, it isn't Mama Peach's hand in marriage, that's for sure…_

"Couldn't you for once eat something healthier than that box of sugary garbage?" a voice chimed in from behind. Junior turned his head to see Wendy approaching him. Wendy had grown over the years into a slender female Koopa with long strawberry blonde hair. Her obsession with beauty hadn't waned in the slightest, so she still sported the same gold bracelets, red bead necklace, and pink heels and polka-dotted bow she had always worn in her younger years. Only now, she was feeling much more fashion-forward as she dawned a pink blouse and black capris.

"If I wanted your opinion Wendy, I'd ask for it," Junior retorted with his mouth full as he took his first bite.

"Oh please, you never consult me about _anything_." She scanned the prince from head to toe. Her eyes stopped when they reached Junior's stomach. "All I'm saying is that maybe if you cut back on the sugar a bit and did an extra rep or two in your workout, you'd feel better about yourself," she explained as she playfully poked at Junior's flabby waste line. He smacked Wendy's hand away in retaliation.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up now, princess," Junior retaliated. "In a couple days, you better watch your mouth. I could have you locked up in the dungeon for making fun of me!" The female Koopaling placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh, lighten up, Junior. I'm just kidding around," she defended. "But if you want the truth, kings are supposed to be confident. Just look at your father." Junior's chewing slowed to a stop as he listened. "You're going to be our leader soon so you need to be firm and unshakable; like a rock over the ocean."

"What does _that_ mean?" Junior inquired as he raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"It means that you're bound to have enemies who will want nothing more than to tear you down and get to your kingdom," Wendy elaborated. "They could use your weight and your appearance as a weakness to get inside your head if you're not careful." Junior aggressively scarfed down another spoonful of his cereal. "But if you start taking better care of yourself, you'll feel more confident. You'll feel _ready_ to be our leader." Junior didn't immediately respond.

Truth be told, Wendy did have a point; as much as it pained him to admit it. Junior didn't exactly enjoy being short of breath from performing the simplest of physical tasks, and he hated not having the stamina to keep up with Roy or Morton in the sparring ring. Plus, maybe Wendy was on to something she didn't even realize. Maybe these health issues were the reason Junior had been struggling to make any real progress in developing his self-esteem or even his magic training. At the very least, taking her advice might just help him get teased a lot less.

"What should I do then?" he asked.

"Why don't you come by my room tonight after your training?" she suggested. "I've got a few exercises we could try that'll help boost your confidence a bit." Junior looked down at his bowl and stirred his spoon around in the milk a bit.

"I'll think about it…," Junior replied. Wendy smiled, rustled his hair a bit, and walked away. Once he finished his breakfast and cleaned up, Junior exited the castle to begin his warm-up exercises for the day of training ahead.

* * *

Roy, Morton, Larry, and Lemmy were prepared to put their future ruler through the most rigorous training day of his life. The session began with a foot race through the winding mountains surrounding the castle. Before long, the race began.

Each participant started strong in the initial stretch, but Larry managed to take the lead. Lemmy was right behind him but try as he might, his legs could not propel him fast enough to overtake Larry. He had an ace in the hole, but the Koopaling knew it was much too early to play it now. Still, Larry had much greater stamina than him. Passing Larry alone wouldn't be enough to win. He would have to maintain that lead the whole way through. There wasn't enough time to think too much about this.

"What's the matter, Lemmy!?" Larry taunted. "Don't tell me you're running low on juice already! We're just getting started!"

"It's not about how much stamina you've got, Larry!" Lemmy retorted. "It's about how you _use_ it!" The Koopaling smacked the palms of his hands together without losing speed. He just had to maintain this speed long enough to activate his magic ability. Five seconds was all he would need.

Meanwhile, Roy, Junior and Morton carried up the rear a good distance away from Larry and Lemmy. Junior was able to surpass Morton without much effort. The Koopaling may have been exceptionally large and could hit like a truck because of it, but speed was never his forte. Morton fell into last place before long as the other two racers sprinted ahead. Still, Roy eluded Junior. The pink-headed Koopaling was the most physically fit of them all. He had the closest balance between speed and power out of all of his siblings. On top of being smaller, Junior just didn't have the stamina to keep up with, much less pass Roy.

With enough concentration, Lemmy managed to trigger his special ability. He raised his hands above his head as magic radiated from his claws. In a flash of light, Lemmy received just the pick-me-up he needed. A large yellow ball appeared out of thin air and landed in his arms. The Koopaling wasted no time in tossing it ahead of him and leaping on top. He built up momentum in the ball by running backwards and spinning it underneath his light weight. After a few seconds, the ball was accelerating for long enough that Lemmy was able to slow his running down into a jog while the ball did the rest of the work.

"Coming through!" Lemmy shouted playfully. Turning his head back, Larry leaped out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled by Lemmy's ball as the latter barreled past him. He tumbled through the soot and dust and rested on the ground for a moment to catch his breath. There wasn't much time to do so, however. Roy and Junior appeared around the corner behind him and were catching up fast. Panicking, the blue-haired Koopaling picked himself up and started running once more.

As the race neared its final stage, the path narrowed along the side of a cliff overlooking a river of lava below. The racers gradually entered a single-file line; solidifying their placements temporarily. Lemmy's ball barely managed to stay on the path. Anyone else daring enough to try balancing on a ball over such a narrow, hazardous trail would've surely fallen to their doom. But Lemmy had mastered the art of balance from years of practice. Even with the ball occasionally bumping into the wall on one side, then teetering over the ledge on the other, Lemmy managed to maintain his placement and speed from on top.

Roy's stamina was starting to give out. He could feel it. He knew Junior was catching up behind him, but there was no way for the prince to get around him. Junior took notice of Roy beginning to slow down. He had to act now before the Koopaling recovered or else he would never be able to pass him. Junior lunged forward and latched onto Roy's shoulders as he prepared to climb over him. The latter nearly tripped as he tried to respond to what had just happened. Before long, Roy managed to shake Junior off of him. The Koopa Prince flew off the cliffside and fell to the lava below. If anyone else were falling, they'd probably be screaming and flailing their limbs in terror. But for Junior, this was just the opportunity he needed to test an ability of his own.

 _Here goes nothing_! Junior thought to himself. He angled himself into a dive and picked up speed as he fell through the air. Junior shut his eyes and steadied his breathing. He pulled his arms, legs, neck and tail close together towards his chest in a fetal position. As gravity engulfed him, the prince began to roll faster and faster until his special ability had been triggered. Junior's entire body transformed into a green spike ball just before he reached the lava. It penetrated the surface of the liquid fire and sunk for a few seconds. Then, the ball rocketed back out of the lava like a cannonball as it spun and flew through the air for a few seconds before landing back in the lava once more. Riding with the current, the spike ball sped down the river like a watercraft.

Once Roy had regained his balance and picked up speed, he shot a quick look back behind him. Junior was nowhere to be seen. The pink-headed Koopaling only pondered for a moment where Junior might've landed. His attention was redirected by the sudden reality that he was entering the final stretch: a downhill sprint to the castle's drawbridge ahead. But Larry and Lemmy were still neck and neck ahead of him. Neither combatant was willing to settle for a tie.

Something had to be done to settle it. Larry knew he had to use his own ability to turn the odds in his favor. Putting his own hands together and concentrating, Larry summoned a large, blue metallic shield. The surface of it had the same smooth texture of a Koopa shell. Mimicking Lemmy's maneuver earlier, Larry began to surf on top of his shield as he raced down the hill. Larry's shield and Lemmy's ball were evenly matched in speed. The finish line drew ever closer. Soon they were right on top of it. In a photo finish, Larry just barely managed to cross the bridge and reach the castle before Lemmy! Their makeshift vehicles disappeared and the two halted at last.

The spike ball reached the end of the lava river. It used a rock protruding out of the lava ahead as a ramp to launch itself high into the air. Roy had just about finished jogging down the hill. He glanced down at the ground for a brief moment and caught a glimpse of a shadow engulfing him. The Koopaling then looked up into the air to determine what was casting said shadow. High above him he saw Junior uncurl from his spike ball form in mid-air and plunge down directly towards him. Before Roy could react, Junior used Roy as a springboard to vault himself over the bridge and steal third place. The prince's landing in the castle grounds was not quite as smooth however, as he face-planted onto the cobblestone and slid for an inch or two before Larry and Lemmy ran over to help him up.

"Woah! Where…the heck…did _you_ come from, squirt?" Roy asked between breaths as he jogged across the bridge.

"Heh….I uhh...took a bit of a shortcut," Junior answered playfully as he scratched the back of his head. Roy smiled.

"Really? Well, I hope you got more surprises like that for me in the sparring ring then," he replied. Once Morton crossed the bridge shortly after, the race concluded. Junior was pleased with his placement above Roy and Morton, though he knew he would have to get in better shape if he ever wanted to compete with Larry and Lemmy.

* * *

After a small break, the boys proceeded to the training grounds to continue the rest of the day's training. Upon completing the full-body workout and weight training circuit, all that remained was a friendly sparring tournament.

Lemmy and Morton stood on opposite ends of the sparring ring. Despite being older than both Junior and Larry, Lemmy remained the smallest of the Koopalings with slightly below average-sized muscles and waste line. Lemmy was wearing a bright orange polo shirt and brown shorts. His long, wild mohawk of blue, yellow and magenta-colored hair with a yellow ponytail fluttered slightly in the breeze, and he had since added a third streak of orange along the sides of his head.

Morton on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Over the years he had grown to become the largest of the Koopalings and he was well on his way to matching Bowser's height. The thin strands of hair that made up his eyebrows and hair had grown longer but otherwise remained unchanged. Morton also had mild stubble sprouting across his developed chin. The grey star that marked his face was as prominent as ever. Morton was dressed in an extra-large white muscle shirt and camouflage green cargo pants. Larry offered to proctor the match while Junior and Roy sat nearby and watched from the sidelines.

"Alright you two, keep it clean," said Larry. "No magic. Last one standing in the ring wins." Lemmy and Morton glared at one another and waited for the signal. "Ready? _Begin_!" Lemmy charged straight towards Morton with full intention to push him right out of the ring. His desire to end the match quickly was fulfilled, but not in the way he had imagined. Morton scooped the smaller Koopaling up effortlessly with one arm and smirked at him.

"Hehe…," Morton chuckled deeply. Lemmy gulped when their eyes met. The large, brown Koopaling carelessly tossed him over his shoulder. The latter flew right over the ring's end and tumbled into the grass. It took Larry a few seconds to process that the match was already officially over.

"…Uhhh…oh! Right!" he cleared his throat. "Morton wins!"

"Well…didn't see that coming," Junior commented.

"I did," said Roy. "That match-up was rigged. Like pitting a toothpick against a brick wall."

Soon the time came at last for Junior and Roy to face off in the final match of the day. The two stared one another down in anticipation of Larry starting the match. Junior could already feel the palms of his hands beginning to sweat. Just looking at Roy was making him anxious. After all, this kind of physical contact sport was what Roy lived for.

Similar to Morton, Roy fell on the larger end of the Koopaling size spectrum as he towered over Junior, despite the latter's growth spurt. Every muscle from Roy's shoulders to his toes had been toned and polished to maximum physical fitness. Roy wore only a sleeveless, black leather jacket. The Koopaling didn't "believe" in wearing pants because he felt it wasn't natural for larger Koopas to do so and only slowed them down. He sported a second set of spiked bands on his upper forearms in addition to the ones he'd always worn on his wrists. The Koopaling believed this gave his appearance an assertion of additional physical growth and maturity over his siblings. Roy's fangs and the spikes on his purple shell had only gotten sharper with time, though his actual claws themselves left something to be desired. Roy still sported the iconic black and red sunglasses he was known for, and despite growing hair over the years, the Koopaling consistently shaved it off and remained firm about being bald. He believed hair was a weakspot that his enemies could try to exploit to get control of him in a scuffle. Without any hair, he was much closer to being an untouchable wall of power.

Roy cracked his knuckles and smirked just as Larry gave the signal for the two combatants to begin. Junior spread his feet apart slightly and squatted to take a stance as if he were waiting for Roy to pass him a football. Roy smacked his fists together, then leaped forward across the ring towards Junior. Their claws intertwined with one another, and each fighter pushed with all the strength they could muster in their forearms. The prince shut his eyes to concentrate. However, Junior was no match. Roy quickly overpowered him and forced him down onto one knee.

"Give it up, Junior," Roy warned. Junior opened his eyes and stared at his own reflection in Roy's sunglasses. "I don't wanna hurt ya! Call it quits before you get rawked!"

"N-no way!" Junior stammered. Roy shrugged his shoulders. The Koopaling lifted one leg and delivered a crushing kick to Junior's unprotected torso. The prince yanked his arms back towards his chest to nurse the pain. With his guard completely dropped, Roy capitalized on the opportunity by lifting Junior up off the ground and hoisting him over his shoulder. He walked over towards the edge of the ring, and tossed Junior into the neighboring grass with ease.

"That's it!" Larry shouted. "Roy is the winner!" The pink-headed Koopaling brushed his palms together a few times to wipe off the sweat. He approached Junior and offered him a hand to help him up, but Junior refused to take it. The latter was content with sulking on the back of his shell on the ground.

"Leave me…," said Junior.

"C'mon, pal. Be a good sport about it," said Roy.

"This coming from the guy who hits below the belt?" Junior retorted.

"Only rule was no magic," the Koopaling defended. "Everything else was fair game." The prince groaned. That was a pretty lousy excuse as far as he was concerned. Eventually, Roy and Larry helped Junior stand up. Lemmy joined his siblings from the sidelines.

"Let's head back to the castle and hit the showers," Larry suggested. Everyone else except Junior smiled and agreed to the proposal.

"Yeah, and I'll whip up a chocolate protein milkshake for our future king over here," Roy added with a grin. Junior rubbed his arm and looked away.

"Wendy says I should cut back on the sugar…," said the prince.

"Yeah well she should take her own advice if you ask me," Lemmy argued as he put his hand on Junior's shoulder. "You're not the only one around here with a sweet tooth after all!" Roy approached Junior and placed his broad, meaty hand on the prince's other shoulder.

"Besides, you worked hard today, so live a little. You earned it!" he advised. Junior gave a slight smile and nodded as he followed the others back into the castle.

* * *

Willpower alone was not enough to keep Junior focused on his magic studies later that evening. His eyelids grew heavy, and his head was gradually sliding off the hand that was attempting to prop it up. The words in the textbook on the desk in front of him were starting to blur together, and the various candles - which were lit around the castle's library - hardly provided enough light to convince Junior's body that staying awake was important. Giving in to his fatigue, the prince rested his head on the pages of the book. Time slowed down around him as his eyelids gradually closed.

 _THWACK_!

His slumber was sharply cut short when Ludwig von Koopa smacked the tip of his wand to the desk in front of Junior. The prince jerked his head up and wiped the drool from his lip as he twisted his neck back and forth to rapidly scan the room.

" _Huh_ …who…what!?" he blurted out. Ludwig cleared his throat and gathered Junior's attention immediately. The former's glare indicated that he was not amused.

Ludwig's enormous, bushy blue hair was combed and well-kept atop his head, although this wasn't slowing down its growth in the slightest as it was gradually creeping up on the Koopaling's face. It was complimented not only by the sharpened lone fang protruding from the center of his mouth, but also by the groomed blue goatee sprouting from the Koopaling's chin. Ludwig was dressed in an onyx black jacket with pantone yellow lining the cuffs, collar, and lower rim of the piece. Ludwig also wore neatly pressed blue jeans with the ends folded up near his ankles. Ludwig dawned black metallic bracelets on his wrists and ankles, though they lacked spikes. This was an effort on Ludwig's part to make him stand apart visually from his siblings such as Roy. However, Ludwig still reluctantly wore a spiked collar around his neck as a sign of respect and allegiance towards Bowser.

"This is hardly the time to be napping, Prince Junior," Ludwig spoke. Junior yawned and rubbed his eye.

"Sorry, Ludwig," Junior replied. "I'm just really tired from training with Roy and the others today…"

"Then I suggest you learn to allocate your energy more efficiently. As a king, you will be responsible for balancing a multitude of tasks and responsibilities at once," the Koopaling nagged as he began to pace around the room; his claws behind his shell in a proper, formal posture. "Choosing to neglect them all in favor of sleeping will be out of the question. Perhaps if you weren't always awake in the late hours of every evening fiddling with those silly video games of your's and instead devoted more time to getting proper rest, you wouldn't have such problems concentrating."

Junior propped his head up on his hand once more and flipped through the pages of the book without actually reading anything. He had long since tuned out Ludwig's nagging, as he usually did. The Koopaling seemed to care more about the responsibilities of the Koopa King than Junior did himself. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Ludwig were actually the one who had a coronation coming up soon instead of him.

"Now then, let's review the chapter on summoning through conjuring once more," Ludwig proposed. Junior groaned slightly; annoyed that this lesson still wasn't over yet. Ludwig reached over and closed Junior's book. "Without consulting your text, what type of energy is used in the art of summoning?"

"Uhh….," Junior started as he placed a claw to his chin. His mind drew a complete blank. "…Mental…?" he guessed. Ludwig sighed and shook his head.

"No, Junior. Spiritual. _Spiritual_ energy is used," Ludwig corrected. "Which comes from a mind _free_ of mental influence, remember?"

"No. What does that even _mean_?" Junior asked.

"When you're conjuring something, it means you're creating something physical - using only your own claws - and completely out of thin air; out of nothing. It takes an enormous amount of mental focus and concentration. If your mind is at all influenced or distracted by your emotional thoughts, it will not work," Ludwig explained. "You should've known this after we reviewed it extensively last week. Did you read over your notes once more as I requested?"

"I might've forgot…," the prince admitted. Ludwig slapped his palm to his forehead.

"I shouldn't be surprised. You're far too distracted, Prince Junior. You're neglecting your magic training."

"No I'm not!" Junior argued. "I just don't have time! Roy and the others are always making me work out and do fitness training, you're shoving all these dumb books about magic theory in my face, and Wendy's obsessed with trying to 'fix my image' or some garbage like that!" he complained. "I can't do everything at once! I'm just one kid!"

"You're almost 18 years old, Prince Junior! You're not a child anymore, and yet you insist on acting like one!" Ludwig argued. "The real issue in my eyes is that you have no sense of discipline. Your father has high hopes for you to succeed him, and we are all simply trying to prepare you for that. But thus far you have only proven that you have not matured in the slightest in all this time we've spent training you!"

"Hey! At least Roy knows how to make training fun! It's not my fault _you're_ a lousy teacher! I mean jeez, Ludwig. I always thought magic was supposed to be fun. But you make it so _boring_!"

"Magic is so much more than silly light shows or parlor tricks, Junior!" the Koopaling exclaimed. "It's an ancient art form passed down through generations of Koopas. Even Morton is able to grasp my teachings. The reality is that magic is a living entity. It will never obey your commands if you do not deliver the time and respect it deserves!"

"Why do I even _have_ to learn magic in the first place, huh? It's not like my dad ever does any!"

"The idea is to make you a smarter, healthier, and overall superior leader in comparison to your father! But unless you can learn to grow up, you'll never-"

"Alright, Ludwig. Settle down. That's quite enough," someone interrupted. Ludwig turned around to see Kammy Koopa enter the room. She was using her wand as a walking cane while she approached him and Junior.

"With all due respect, Kammy, this is a lecture that Prince Junior desperately needs to hear," Ludwig reasoned.

"I don't disagree," the elderly Koopa witch replied. "However, Junior has had a long day of training, and he clearly needs his rest. Your teachings - and more importantly your lecture - are likely to fall on deaf ears at this point." She turned her attention to Junior, who was still seated at the table behind Ludwig.

"Why don't you retire to your room now and get some sleep, dear?"

"But…my big exam is tomorrow," Junior reminded her.

"Not only that, but I do not feel that he is anywhere near ready to meet your expectations," Ludwig added.

"Then I'll postpone your exam by one more day," said Kammy. Junior's eyes lit up and he smiled from cheek to cheek.

"Really!?" he replied excitedly. She nodded.

"Instead, we'll have an extensive review session first thing tomorrow morning after breakfast, which I will oversee. Just be sure not to be late!" she advised playfully with a small laugh. Junior smiled back and nodded.

"Thanks, Kammy! You're the best!" the prince cheered as he leaped out of his seat and raced out of the library. A deeply annoyed Ludwig was left to pick up Junior's abandoned textbooks and reshelve them. Then he pushed the chair in against the table.

"How am I ever to get through to him if you consistently undermine my teachings, Kammy?" Ludwig inquired bitterly.

"Ludwig, there is more to being a teacher than simply understanding the information and conveying it to the student," Kammy replied. "You must understand the personal needs of your student and how he thinks. Your true challenge as a teacher is determining the best way to reach him that information in such a way that he will gladly absorb and retain it."

"But if you continue to give him extensions and breaks in his training, he'll simply become dependent on them and never truly appreciate the value of hard work." Kammy placed her bony hand on Ludwig's shoulder.

"You must remember that Junior is training to become so much more than just a wielder of the enchanted arts like you and I. He is on the verge of becoming our kingdom's next grand leader, and he needs to rest and pace himself in his training," the witch explained. "Overwhelming him and working him past his point of exhaustion will never help him in the long run." Ludwig gripped the back of the chair tightly as he stared into the dying flame of the candle on the table. "Be patient with the boy, Ludwig. I just know he's making progress under your instruction. I would not have entrusted you to teach him if I didn't have faith you could do it."

"Of course, ma'am…" The Koopaling blew out the candle and exited the library with Kammy to retire for the night.


	3. Days Gone By

Bowser polished off the last of his coffee and laid back in his chair as he halfheartedly listened to Princess Daisy speaking her piece in front of the council. His olive green sweater vest and white undershirt were beginning to chafe around his chest since he'd been wearing the combo longer than usual today. These meetings had a tendency to drag on for much too long in Bowser's eyes; this one especially so since he had been informed prior that there was an urgent matter to be addressed. The meeting had been in session for four and a half hours now and so far, not one piece of news seemed even the slightest bit urgent.

Glancing around the room though, it seemed Bowser was not the only one who was itching to get to that urgent news. Each of the other council members appeared to have their attention fixed on separate tasks of their own. Toadsworth was polishing his monocle with a handkerchief, Rosalina was nursing her lukewarm cup of tea and staring intensely at it as if doing so would magically open a portal she could use to escape this snore-fest, Mayor Pauline was shuffling and organizing the papers in front of her, and Cappy was bobbing up and down as he hovered in his chair; his eyelids growing heavy as he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Peach seemed to be the only one who was actually paying attention, and she silently took notice of the growing disinterest in the room. The princess was about to exercise her power as head of the council to motion that the subject be changed, but Daisy finished speaking just before she could do so.

"Great, thank you Daisy for that wonderful report on the recent climate changes in Sarasaland," Peach spoke as she rose from her chair. "Now, before we conclude today's meeting, there's one final matter we must tend to." Peach departed from the table and walked across the room towards a rope that was resting against the wall and suspended from the ceiling.

"Is this that 'urgent news' we've all been dying to hear?" Bowser inquired sarcastically from the opposite end of the table.

"As a matter of fact, it is," Peach responded happily. "We have a guest who has requested an audience with us." She pulled on the rope and activated a mechanical contraption on the ceiling. A series of interconnected cogs began to turn in the center of the room, and several ceiling panels separated and created a circular hole to the outside world. The room was engulfed with a dazzling light as something descended from above. When the light faded, Eldstar - one of the seven Star Spirits - was now floating just above the table before them.

"Greetings, Kingdom Council," the elder star spoke. "I thank you for allocating a moment of your time to hear an old star's message."

"Please, it is an honor to have one of the much-revered Star Spirits grace us with its presence," said Toadsworth. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Master Eldstar?"

"Alas, I wish I came before you under more pleasant circumstances," said Eldstar. "Not long ago, I experienced a vision of a dark and sinister force on the rise. An ominous power is growing, and I fear that it will soon begin expanding across the land at an alarming rate."

"…Could you be a little more specific?" Daisy asked. "I'm not really following you…"

"I cannot say much more, unfortunately," said Eldstar. "This power is shrouded in a terrible, cold darkness. I fear that what I have experienced is the premonition of a great danger, which the Mushroom Kingdom - and other kingdoms as well - will face in the coming days."

"I believe you, Eldstar," Rosalina supported. The rest of the council turned to look at her. "You see, I've been having nightmares myself these past few nights. They were all of something terrible…and they felt so real…"

"What did you see?" Peach asked.

"I don't know exactly. I saw several…creatures. They came in different shapes and sizes. But I couldn't make out any of their identities due to this…shadowy aura that surrounded them," Rosalina explained. "I believe the stars are trying to warn me that something dangerous is coming."

"Then we should start making preparations now," Pauline suggested. "We can't wait until this danger is on our doorstep; whatever it is."

"But we don't even know who or _what_ we're up against," Cappy reasoned.

"That might be true, Cappy. But how ever strong this mysterious force is, there's also strength in numbers," said Peach. "I think we should gather our troops and mount a united force against it. If what Eldstar is saying is true, then this threat will become a problem for _all_ of our kingdoms; not just mine."

"Now wait just a moment!" objected Cappy. "The people of Bonneton are not fighters! I'm not going to commit the Cap Kingdom to participating in some war against an enemy we know nothing about."

"He has a point," Pauline agreed. "If I make a public announcement about this danger before we even know exactly what it is, I guarantee it'll send the people of New Donk City into a state of panic. I can't do that to my people."

"These are very reasonable objections, princess," Toadsworth agreed. "I suggest we exercise caution for the time being." The elderly toad ran his index finger through his mustache. "Perhaps it would be best if we were to send Master Mario to investigate first for signs of anything out of the ordinary." The eyes of the majority of the council members lit up upon hearing this suggestion, and they collectively began nodding their heads in agreement. They mumbled pleasantly with one another; singing praises of Mario's bravery, skill, and dependability.

Peach however, was not so keen on this suggestion. The princess frowned and folded her hands in her lap as she gripped one of her gloves tightly. She looked up and somehow, Peach wasn't surprised to see Bowser's eyes meet her own at that moment from across the table. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but judging from the intensity in his eyes, his thoughts were probably not far off from her own. After all, they were the only two people at the table not responding to Toadsworth's idea.

"No," Peach denied aloud. The rest of the council fell silent and looked at her. "I can't ask Mario to get involved in this if it's really so dangerous. I won't."

"Peach, please," said Rosalina. "We can't just sit by and ignore this danger. We have to do _something_."

"Yeah," Daisy agreed. "Besides, the Mushroom Kingdom has always turned to Mario first when things got bad. He's never let you down before."

"It's not that I don't have faith in him to help us," Peach countered. "I know he could. But…I want those days to be over." Her eyes fell back to her lap. "I'm sorry. I just can't ask Mario to put his life on the line for us anymore." Looks of confusion were exchanged around the table upon hearing this reasoning.

"At least talk to him about what's going on then," Cappy suggested. "Maybe he'll have a better idea of what we can do instead."

"A capital idea, Master Cappy!" Toadsworth agreed. "Your highness, if you would be so kind, please consult Master Mario about this problem. With any luck, he should be able to solve this mystery for us lickety-split!" The other council members nodded and smiled at one another.

"I will return if I have any further news to be shared," Eldstar assured. "But for now, I must return to Star Haven."

"Yes, I think I will take my leave now as well," Rosalina added. "If I learn anything more about this threat from my dreams, rest assured that the council will be the first to know of it." Peach sighed.

"Alright, and I'll…talk to Mario about this. If no one has anything more to add, then this meeting of the Kingdom Council is adjourned." 

* * *

The council dispersed in the courtyard of Peach's castle just as the sun was beginning to set. Peach stood silently and stared off into the distance; her eyes overflowing with uncertainty and doubt. She knew the council was right about Mario. He was a treasure. He'd saved her life, her kingdom, and even the world on countless occasions over the years. The most amazing part of it all was that he would always gladly do it again. Still, why couldn't any of them understand that sometimes a treasure is just too precious to use so thoughtlessly? There did seem to be one other person in that room who understood that…

"You surprised me back there, princess," a gruff voice spoke from behind. Peach turned to see Bowser approach her side and cross his massive arms.

"Did I?" Peach asked as she shifted a lock of her golden hair behind her ear.

"That's the first time I've ever seen you choose _not_ to rely on Mario to fix all your problems when you had the chance. You've really learned to stand on your own two feet for once. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in a Smash Bros tournament right now," Bowser joked with a small laugh. Peach sighed. Bowser abandoned his attempt at jokes when he noticed that she clearly wasn't in the mood for them. "So what gives?" The two took a seat together on the bench behind them.

"I thought things were going to be different from now on. _I_ wanted to be different," said Peach.

"Is that why you started this council in the first place?" Peach looked at Bowser and nodded.

"I wanted to take more responsibility for my kingdom. I wanted to prove to my people - and to myself too, I guess - that I could do things on my own; that I wasn't so helpless without Mario." Bowser scratched the back of his head.

"Well…as much as I think it's a pain in the ass for me to have to drag myself over here practically every week…this council thing never would've happened without you. I mean…you finally got rid of the Mushroom Kingdom's number one enemy, after all. Give yourself some credit for that," Bowser explained reluctantly. Peach turned to him and smiled a little.

"I wish you wouldn't still think of this as such a punishment. Don't you feel happy at all to be treated as a guest here; to be respected? Don't you care that your voice finally matters to us now?" Bowser turned around to look up at Peach's castle. Her eyes followed him.

"Peach, for so long, I've wanted to stand up there on that balcony and look over your kingdom without people running away screaming in terror. Instead, with them respecting me; loving me even."

"But you can still do that now," Peach argued. "All of our kingdoms are united together under the Kingdom Council; including your's. I think you've come a long way with us from how you used to be."

"Maybe, but I always thought I'd be standing up there with you by my side. You know...as my wife." Peach blushed slightly at this revelation.

"Oh…," she started. The princess stared at the diamond ring on her gloved finger. Sunlight danced elegantly through its reflective grooves.

"That's what you saw in _him_ , isn't it?" the Koopa King guessed. "He was never scary to you; never a danger like me. He was one of those soft, mushy types. He was never gonna give up on you…but he knew when to back off, unlike me. He was stubborn enough to go to the ends of the earth just to find you whenever I stole you, and what did he ever ask for in return for all his hard work? Nothing but a slice of cake or a peck on the nose."

Bowser had hit the nail square on the head. All of those reasons together were precisely why Peach said 'yes' the day Mario proposed to her.

Could anyone really blame her? Was anyone honestly surprised? Mario was her knight in shining armor, even if he hardly looked the part. He was a gentleman, a good friend, and a confidant when Peach needed one. He risked his life and limb for her sake far too many times to count. Mario even respected Peach's rejection of his first proposal to her on the moon at Honeylune Ridge without getting too discouraged by it. He simply accepted that she wasn't ready for marriage at the time (Bowser's initial kidnapping of her likely aided Peach in reaching that decision back then anyway), and he waited patiently until the day she was. On one fateful day many years later when he asked for her hand in marriage once more, Peach accepted at last and the two had been happily married ever since.

Or, so was thought…

Despite being offered the title of Mushroom King by Toadsworth, Mario turned it down. His reasoning was that he felt forever compelled to defend the Mushroom Kingdom from the frontlines and at the first sign of trouble. He simply couldn't do that from a throne room. Mario believed that true devotion and service to the people of the Mushroom Kingdom meant he had to continue being the adventurer and freelance hero extraordinaire that he always had been. This decision - as mixed as it had been received by the citizens of Toad Town at first - inspired Peach and Toadsworth to restructure the Mushroom Kingdom's monarchy altogether. Peach formed the Kingdom Council with Toadsworth, Daisy, Rosalina, Pauline, Cappy, and Bowser in order to unite their kingdoms together under one democratic system.

Mario wouldn't have to single-handedly change the world himself anymore. Instead, he would have the kingdoms of the world collaborating alongside him now. The denizens of each one could make their voices truly heard. Together, the council members could make collective executive decisions and slowly work towards making the world a better place, while Mario could continue doing what he loved without inheriting so much of the burden. Besides, serving on the council gave Peach a sense of purpose.

The princess believed she had a chance to become more than just a pretty face always waiting to be kidnapped by the next monster of the week, and that she could now be of real use to her beloved. The Kingdom Council's first official order of business had been deciding upon a proper punishment for Bowser to make him atone for his many crimes. However, instead of being ruthlessly sentenced to death, the Koopa King was to complete his reformation with Peach. At least then, he would be allowed a chance to redeem himself by representing the Koopa Kingdom on the council; provided he demonstrate consistent good behavior prior to serving.

Although Bowser had initially tried to cheat, fight, lie and connive his way out of captivity, he didn't get far when the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland, Cap Kindom, Metro Kingdom, and overseer of the entire galaxy were all standing against him. Over the years, Bowser had been essentially broken and gradually rebuilt from the ground up into a respectable political figure instead of a tyrannical dictator. Although, his grumpy personality, mild temper, and brash attitude largely remained unchanged; much to the delight of Bowser Jr., the Koopalings, and Bowser's former henchmen.

Learning to trust Bowser and welcome him into the Mushroom Kingdom on a weekly basis for council meetings was a difficult task at first for the denizens of Toad Town. How could he be trusted so easily after everything he'd done? Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Toad were all especially skeptical about Bowser actually changing his ways for good. But after many years of counseling, trials, tribulations, and moral support from a large group of friends and family alike, Bowser finally began to grow comfortable with his new life of no longer invading kingdoms, kidnapping princesses, or fighting Mario. He was beginning to earn the authority and respect he'd wanted for so long by working with the council. Even if the manner in which he obtained them was far different from what he'd originally imagined; using words instead of brute force. However, none of this would ever change the fact that Peach would never be his bride. Peach knew that deep down, this loneliness was something Bowser would never truly be able to move on from.

"I suppose you're right," Peach agreed. "But, maybe if you hadn't spent so many years kidnapping me… _we_ could've become more than friends." Bowser snorted at that.

"Yeah right. Don't try to lead me on with your petty 'what-if's,' Peach. We both know it's too late for you to have feelings for me," Bowser objected. He slouched over and examined the cement beneath his massive feet. "You and Mario were always meant to tie the knot eventually. Any chump with half a brain could've seen that coming." Peach's eyes looked away. "Now you two are as close as close can get. So what's the big deal with asking for Mario's help? You know he's not going to say no since he's not tied down by the throne or the council."

"That's just it," Peach responded. "I know he'll say yes, but I don't _want_ him to. I…I don't want him to go!" she exclaimed. "I know letting Mario run free like this over the years has all been for the best since he would've been miserable if he had been forced to become the king and…imprison himself in the castle for the rest of his life. But…," the princess started.

"But…?" Bowser repeated. He had a hunch she was getting at something, so he waited for her to find the words. Peach shut her eyes and clenched her fists.

"Is it so wrong of me to want _him_ to change too!?" she exclaimed. "I wish Mario could…you know…stop running around all the time and just be my _husband_ for a change!"

"You want to keep him close, don't you?" Bowser guessed.

"Yes!" the princess affirmed. "I mean…he's not getting any younger. He can't keep up the hero act forever. I've tried to support him for as long as I could, Bowser. I really did, and I thought running the council would be enough for me to feel useful and busy and…happy," Peach explained. "I thought it would be enough for me to somehow _feel_ like I was with him on his journeys. But it's not. I hardly ever see him anymore because we're both so busy. All these years later, I'm so afraid that something terrible is going to happen to him out there any day now," she reasoned. Her sapphire pupils met Bowser's. "Bowser, I can't lose Mario. Not when I haven't even had a real chance to love him…" Tears glistened in her eyes. Bowser wiped one away with his claw as it began to roll down her cheek.

"Hey, come on now. Don't do that. What good is crying gonna do, huh?" Bowser asked. Peach didn't have an immediate answer. The Koopa King sighed and rolled his eyes. He was never good at dealing with people when they cried in front of him; except for his son of course. "Look, you're overreacting. If it were that easy to kill Mario, _I_ would've done it years ago." Peach calmed down ever so slightly just from hearing that. She had seen that firsthand to be true. Bowser ran his hand through his hair and scratched his head.

"But I'm not surprised plumber boy hasn't been much of a 'lover boy' to you, though. I mean, how do you two even talk about stuff like this? The guy never says more than a few words at a time. Besides, he loves his adventures too much to ever sit still, and you've enabled him to think that's okay, Peach. If this keeps up, don't expect to ever have kids with him. It won't happen."

"What should I do then, Bowser? Was marriage always so easy for _you_?" Peach inquired as she dried her eyes with her glove. Bowser froze upon hearing such a question.

"W-what…do you mean?" the Koopa King replied.

"I mean, did you and _your_ wife have any problems like this? Communicating? Having jobs that kept you apart? Reasons to worry you would one day never see each other again because your jobs were dangerous and you were both getting older?" Bowser began to sweat and his tongue turned into sand paper in his mouth. He _never_ talked about this subject with Peach or anyone else outside of his castle for that matter. Then again, this was the first time she'd ever asked him directly about his wife or his personal history before he started kidnapping her.

"…What makes you think I have a wife?" he answered indirectly with a forced laugh. "I mean c'mon, Peach! I've been trying to marry _you_ all this time!"

"Bowser Jr. had to come from somewhere," Peach stated bluntly. The pupils in Bowser's eyes constricted and his stomach started twisting into a knot. The Koopa King tugged at his sweater awkwardly. He blushed ever so slightly, though Peach didn't seem surprised as her expression remained casual. Bowser kept his eyes locked on her's, as though looking away might've signaled hesitation.

"How do you know that wasn't just a one-night stand?"

"Oh, please. You've done a lot of terrible stuff, Bowser. But you don't strike me as the kind of person who would do _that_ to a woman. Not since you were so fixated on me alone for all these years. If you were really that shallow, you would've moved on from me _ages_ ago. Besides, you care too much about your son to just walk away from a commitment like that so casually." Drops of sweat slithered down Bowser's neck.

"Oh…" Game, set, and match. All this time, Peach had him cornered and all figured out, and Bowser never knew. He couldn't help but wonder when she could've possibly managed to piece it together that he'd already been married. Maybe it was the first time she met Junior on Isle Delfino? She _did_ just use him as a springboard to dive into this interrogation in the first place.

"I'm just guessing that you were married at the time Junior was born. But I don't know that for sure. Who did you have him with? What was his real mother like?" Bowser bit his lip as he desperately tried to pick his words carefully. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no dodging the truth any further.

"Fine…you're right…," Bowser admitted. "I _was_ married. She was someone I met a long time ago. How we ended up together…that's a long story. Anyway, I married her when I was about to become king, so she became my queen." Peach listened intensely as Bowser spoke. He was almost distracted by how much her face was glowing with a sudden, unbridled fascination with his story. Why she was suddenly so interested in hearing more about Bowser's past now, he hadn't a clue. "We had Junior not long afterward. That's all." Peach's expression flickered as she grew puzzled.

"...That's all?" she repeated. "Bowser…why did you never tell me any of this before?" The Koopa King looked away and tightly gripped the edges of the bench beneath him with his claws. He could feel his tail curling up underneath the lower back rim of his shell the way it always did during the rare occasions when Bowser was genuinely nervous. This conversation was growing more and more uncomfortable for him by the minute.

"What does it matter?" Bowser countered coldly. Peach stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"What if I had married _you_ instead of Mario? You don't think I would've wanted to know that you already _had_ a-"

"It's complicated!" Bowser exclaimed as he shot up from the bench and glared at her. They both hesitated for a moment. Bowser shook his head, rubbed the back of his neck, then continued. "Look, I don't like to talk about her, okay?"

"Why not? What happened between you two?"

"She's…not around anymore. She hasn't been for a long time."

"Did she leave you?"

"Sorta…See, it wasn't that we had a fight or anything. We loved each other. No doubt about that. But she was…taken…from me."

"Like…kidnapped…?" Given their history together, Bowser wasn't surprised that Peach would jump to that conclusion.

"No. She got really sick and…passed away..." Peach fell silent.

Suddenly it all made sense to her; the kidnappings, the attempted weddings, the relentless jealousy towards Mario, the anger and the violence. Everything she knew about Bowser made sense now. All this time he had been trying desperately to replace something he'd lost. Bowser was a widower; left with a son to raise all alone. He was so cruel to the world because he had been shielding a broken, terrified heart. There was also the distinct possibility that he probably didn't want Junior having to grow up without a mother. The princess could feel a lump growing in her throat and her lips quivering ever so slightly as her eyes moistened once more, though she resolved not to start crying again. Peach carefully inched her hand towards Bowser's claw until they touched.

"Bowser…I'm so sorry…" she offered.

"Don't be. It had nothing to do with you, and I've had a long time to get over it…" Bowser nudged her hand away. He didn't need her support or sympathy, and he didn't want her to think that he did.

"I guess maybe you _do_ understand why I'm so afraid to lose Mario," Peach said as she looked to the sky.

"Hardly. I lost my wife to a disease, and it happened before I had time to ever worry about losing her. _You're_ afraid of something that might not ever happen. For all you know, Mario could die peacefully in his sleep someday as a jolly old man. It's not the same, Peach." The princess gripped her forearms with her hands; her eyes full of shame. She was practically shivering from his cold, bitter remark. Bowser sighed when he noticed her suddenly defensive and reserved body language. Clearly Peach was overstepping her boundaries; becoming too comfortable around Bowser. She knew it too. So now she was backing off and putting up her guard out of fear of being scolded by him further.

He didn't mean to insult her in such a way by belittling her problems. But what did he care, honestly? Peach wasn't his wife so he wasn't obligated to care about her problems beyond face value. Friends could only do so much for each other. Marriage was a threshold that people like him could never cross with her.

"It's getting late. I'm gonna head home," said Bowser. He got up from the bench and took a few steps away, then stopped. "The way I see it, you've got two choices, princess." She looked up at Bowser.

"I do?" Peach replied.

"Yes. Either you tell Mario what's going on like the council wants you to, and let him go if he agrees to help…" The princess's frown persisted. "Or…just say nothing, and risk putting your kingdom in danger from…whatever the hell this threat turns out to be." Without waiting for her to respond, Bowser departed from the courtyard and left Peach alone with her thoughts as dusk turned to evening.


	4. Our Reality

It was after midnight by the time Bowser parked his Koopa Clown Car in the castle garage and strolled through the halls of his grand stone abode. Everything was quiet. No welcome home party, no fanfare, not a soul was around to welcome him back; not that he expected anyone to be. This was nothing new after all, and he was used to the routine by now. By this hour, the vast majority of Bowser's underlings and henchmen had retired to their quarters for the evening. But the Koopa King had one final stop he had to make before he could follow their example.

Ascending the winding staircase and carefully twisting the door knob between his claws, Bowser quietly entered Junior's room. The light was still on so Bowser assumed his son was awake, but this wasn't the case. The TV and Switch console were still powered on, but Junior was fast asleep in his chair a few feet away; his head drooping low as he snored a bit. The Koopa King stood passively for a moment and stared at him. He wondered if Junior had spent the whole day playing video games. It was a distinct possibility.

Despite maturing a bit over time, Junior still had a tendency every now and then to blow off his responsibilities. This habit had become more and more common these past few years in particular. Bowser assumed that slacking off was Junior's counterproductive way of coping with the fact that he was growing up and had to face new responsibilities; maybe this was how he felt like a kid again. Or, maybe that promise Junior had made to Bowser back when he was seven didn't matter as much to him anymore. Regardless, the prince wouldn't be able to get away with this for much longer. In a few short days, Junior was going to become the king. He would have a lot more pressing matters on his plate to deal with, and playing video games would have to wait. Had Bowser and the Koopalings been doing enough to prepare him?

"Junior…wake up," said Bowser as he shook his son's shoulder. The Koopa Prince was fast asleep. " _Junior_ ….," Bowser repeated as he shook slightly more aggressively. Still no response. Bowser rolled his eyes and sighed as he realized what he would have to do next. The Koopa King kneeled down slightly and slid his arms underneath Junior's shell and legs. Bowser hoisted Junior up out of his chair with a strained grunt. "Sheesh, kiddo…you're getting too big for this," he commented. "That, or I'm getting too old…"

Bowser carried Junior over to his bed and lowered him down gently; tucking his son under the blankets with care so as not to wake him. His efforts failed however, as Junior stirred in his bed slightly and opened his eyes.

"Mmm…Dad…?" Junior called out. His father turned around to acknowledge him.

"Hey, champ," Bowser responded. "Sorry, I was hoping I wouldn't wake ya." Junior sat up in his bed and got comfortable for a conversation.

"What times is it?" Junior asked groggily with a yawn.

"A quarter after midnight," Bowser answered.

"Did you _just_ get back from your meeting?"

"Yeah, we…had a lot to go over." The topic of the council was always an awkward one. They both knew that well, so Bowser wasted no time in changing the subject. "How did your training go today?" Junior folded his hands in his lap and looked to the floor.

"Was okay…I couldn't win the race…or any of the sparring matches though…"

"Well….that's alright," Bowser assured with a forced, fatherly smile. "As long as you gave it your best shot, that's all you can do, right?"

"I guess…"

"Your big magic exam is tomorrow, isn't it? You feel ready?"

"No…Ludwig doesn't think I am. Kammy pushed it back to give me another day to review." The optimism faded from Bowser's face.

"Have you been paying attention during your lessons and practicing like they asked?"

"No…," Junior admitted. "Not really…" Bowser sighed and shook his head.

"Junior, we've had this talk half a dozen times now. Don't make me give it again. You need to start taking this stuff seriously. I mean, you're gonna be the _king_ in a few days for crying out loud!" Bowser reached over and picked up Junior's Switch controller off the floor. "You need to power down the games for a while and focus on your training."

"I know but…Dad, this stuff is hard. _Really_ hard."

"Well no one said being in charge was easy," Bowser defended. "It's a rite of passage, Junior. You're growing up from a bratty little kid into a strong and powerful adult. You have to be ready for all of the responsibility that comes with that." The prince folded his arms and pouted.

"Yeah well…maybe it would be easier if you were actually _here_ half the time to help me." Bowser cast his gaze aside. He sat down on the bed and placed his hand on Junior's shoulder. Deep down, Bowser had been praying Junior wouldn't go there. That was certainly a tender spot.

"Son….you know I would be here all the time if it were up to me," Bowser replied. "But the council's got me working just as hard as you." The bitter expression on Junior's face didn't change. He shrugged Bowser's hand away.

"Dad, how much longer are you gonna be working with this stupid council?" Bowser lowered his eyebrows.

"You should think about changing your tune pretty quick. My seat on that 'stupid council' is gonna be _your's_ in a few days, you know."

"…But _why_?" Junior asked aggressively. "You never explain it to me, Dad! Why do we have to work _with_ those idiots!? Why can't we just go back to kidnapping Mama Peach like we used to do!?" Bowser sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I _did_ explain it to you already," Bowser argued. "That's not who we are anymore." Junior refused to accept that answer.

"I still can't believe that after all this time, you just…surrendered. You changed. Just like that, and just because they _asked_ you to!" Bowser stood up from the bed in a hurry and clenched his fists. He could feel his annoyance at this conversation growing and spreading inside him like a parasite.

"Okay, it's a little more complicated than that, and you _know_ it," Bowser countered aggressively. "After all these years…I was tired of fighting Mario. I was tired of making _you_ and everyone else in this castle fight him. I was tired of losing…" the Koopa King admitted as he stared down at his claws. "At least now we're getting the respect we always deserved."

"… _Respect_?" Junior repeated with disgust. "You call sitting at a table and twiddling your claws all day _respect_!?"

"Hey! It's because of me and the sacrifices I've made that we even _get_ to sit at that table at all!" Bowser argued. "You don't have to risk your life anymore! None of us do! The council's out there making real changes in the world and we get to be _part_ of that, Junior!"

"This isn't you, Dad! None of this is us! Growing up, you always taught me that we Koopas take what we want! That's all! We don't sit around quietly and wait for a vote or some crap like that!"

"Hey, watch your language!" Bowser blurted out as he pointed a claw at his son. "And what do you know about _me_ , huh!? You wanna know the truth, Junior!? The 'me' you think you know, that isn't who I always was! I was different before! I only changed and turned out this way after your mother died!" Junior threw back the covers and jumped out of bed to stand off against his father.

"…Mom's got nothing to do with this!" Junior argued.

"Your mom has _everything_ to do with this! I agreed to the counseling with Peach and working with the council because I thought I could to try and make up for all the bad things I've done! I'm trying to be a decent person again; the person your mom married; the person you probably don't even remember me being since you were still sucking your claw at the time when I changed!"

"Ugghh, stop spouting this morality trash, Dad! I'm sick of listening to you preach about how you're 'trying to change' and how you're 'doing this for me!' Here's a newsflash: I NEVER WANTED THIS! I hate what's happened to you! _All_ of this! I hate this stupid council, I hate all of this stupid training and these stupid rules!" The prince pointed a claw right back at Bowser. "I hate that you think you can just stand there now and tell me what's best for me, when you have no _idea_ how I'm feeling about any of this! And you don't even care either!" Bowser reached inside himself for something comforting to say to Junior, but it was no use. He was too worked up now. The only words he could find in his throat were ones fueled with anger.

"That's not true!" Bowser roared. "You really think I would choose the council over you!?"

"You already _have_ , Dad!" Junior counted. "You've been choosing them over me for years! If you're not gonna ditch them and come home, then the _least_ you can do is quit lying to me about it and acting like everything's okay when it's not!" Bowser gritted his teeth.

"You think I _want_ it to be this way!? I don't! But there's nothing I can do about it! My claws are tied here, Junior!"

"Like hell they are!" Junior retaliated. "When have you _ever_ let people tell you what to do before!? You _never_ used to let anyone boss you around or control your life like this! Then out of nowhere, you let Mario and his stupid friends take you prisoner and turn you into this…wimpy…spineless… _nobody_!" Junior saw Bowser's retinas burn with an intense anger, but he didn't back down. He couldn't. Not this time.

Bowser could feel himself trembling with frustration just listening to his son's outbursts. He had to get himself under control. Getting this worked up wasn't good for him at his age. His blood pressure and his heart couldn't tolerate these high levels of stress anymore like they could years ago. Bowser had to walk away. Now. Before he blew fire in a tantrum of his own or started throwing things around the room; assuming he didn't collapse from a heart attack first.

But he couldn't calm down. Not yet. There was a burning, throbbing pulse pounding in his chest. It was beginning to irritate Bowser, but he couldn't let that stop him. The Koopa King began to tremble. The blood was practically rushing to his head as it vibrated through his system. The rage danced on Bowser's tongue before it finally emerged.

"You're nothing but a spoiled brat!" Bowser howled. "You always have been! You have no idea how hard I've worked for you all these years! How much I've had to give up for you! How much I've had to do just to try and make you happy and give you a good life all by myself! You've never given me an ounce of appreciation for any of that!"

"Oh, so now me being born is the problem!?"

"No, it's your _attitude_ that's the problem!" Bowser corrected. "You don't know how to appreciate anything anyone ever does for you! All you care about is yourself!"

"Well, I guess I inherited that from _you_ then since you care more about changing yourself for that stupid council than your own son! But I guess that's just our reality, isn't it!?"

"You'll never be a good king if you can't learn to stop focusing only on yourself and start thinking about what's best for your kingdom!"

"Then teach me, Dad! Help me learn how to be a good king and how to start thinking about the kingdom if it's so important!" Junior cried.

"I'm trying to, Junior! I just never have the time to-"

"If you really cared about me, you'd _make_ time to help me…" Suddenly the volume of the conversation plummeted to an eerie silence. The hurricane in Bowser's bloodstream subsided, and the pounding in his chest slowed down. The Koopa King sighed. He took a seat down on Junior's bed and motioned for his son to join him. Junior was reluctant at first, then gave in.

"I care about you more than anything else in the world, Junior," said Bowser calmly. He reached his claw out to touch Junior's cheek. The Koopa Prince swatted his father's advance away.

"I seriously doubt that…"

"I know that all of this change has been frustrating for you, and me being gone all the time hasn't made it any easier for you to adjust," Bowser continued. "You have to believe me when I say that I want to be here for you. But it's just not that simple, kiddo…," the Koopa King explained quietly. "I know you need me, but you can't rely on me forever. I can't always come to your rescue when you need help. You're growing up, Junior. You need to learn how to pick yourself up when something gets hard and just…muscle through it." Junior rolled his eyes.

"But I can't _do_ that. I've tried, but I just can't, Dad," Junior whined. The pounding in Bowser's chest returned. He gritted his teeth and could feel his anger returning. Why wasn't this talk helping? Why couldn't Junior understand? What more did Bowser have to say to get his point across? Dammit, why was it always so hard for Bowser to be a good father?

"So this is how you're gonna act when you're king and something gets too tough!?" Bowser blurted out. "You're gonna whine and throw a tantrum just because it's hard!? Huh!?"

"No, I'm gonna throw out all these stupid rules and changes!" Junior retorted. "I'll get rid of the stupid council! I'll turn you back into your old self and make things go back to the way they used to be! I won't have to embarrass myself anymore by trying to be something I'm not!" The Koopa King wrangled his own tantrum in. His chest was on the verge of exploding. Bowser forced himself not to say anything right away. He shut his eyes and took one massive, deep breath through his nostrils. Finally, he settled on an effective response; one that would allow him to immediately exit out of this conversation with the last word.

"Ludwig was right. You aren't ready. And you know what? I doubt you ever will be…" Bowser coldly declared. Junior's eyes widened in response.

It worked. The sheer ice in his words practically froze Junior in his place. The Koopa King stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Junior alone to contemplate his father's bitter remark. The latter was consumed with a horrific stillness.

Junior didn't believe in himself, and now his own father just admitted that he didn't believe in him either.

Alone at last in his own bedroom, Bowser groggily plopped down on the side of his mattress, popped a pair of his heart medicine pills into his mouth, and removed the spiked bands from his arms; massaging his bare, scale-covered wrists as he sat silently with only his thoughts accompanying him. That certainly was not how he'd wanted to end his conversation with Junior. But Bowser just couldn't yell any more. He had come dangerously close to physically collapsing back there. But getting angry wasn't just bad for Bowser's health, it was bad for his relationship with Junior.

He couldn't rely on anger to get his way anymore. Not after all the years of counseling he'd gone through to earn back his freedom; not after the ordeal he and Junior went through together so many years ago. That latter series of events in particular had truly changed Bowser…arguably for the better. His son's Switch console might've long since been replaced, but the memory of Bowser shattering the original system against the wall in a fit of rage was forever engraved into his own memory. Bowser never wanted to be that kind of parent again, and he hadn't been for a long time. But it was getting increasingly difficult to keep that up.

The original promise Bowser made to his late wife had still been kept. Junior had been cared for and protected for an additional 10 years now. The Koopa King hadn't had any visions or dreams of his wife since the end of that perilous journey, which had brought him and his son closer together. Things between them went on to be great, in fact. Junior kept up his end of the bargain by becoming more obedient, and Bowser grew more tolerant and patient in return. The bond between father and son had grown remarkably stronger with time. Surely after all this progress, Bowser should've been proud for changing his personality so much. But somehow…he wasn't.

Junior was acting rebellious again. Only, this was much worse than last time because he was older now, and much more opinionated and headstrong. His teenage hormones were running wild, and Junior's emotions were making him feel things ten times harder than before. It was a difficult time for _anyone_ to go through. The prince tried to act tough and independent like his father, but if this most recent conflict was any indication, Bowser's son was grappling with a new kind of demon.

Junior was absolutely terrified of all the changes that were coming into his life all of a sudden. He didn't want to be king yet. Junior had made that most certainly clear long before tonight. But even more, he was most certainly heartbroken that Bowser was choosing to leave him alone to sort through all of these changes by himself when he needed his father around the most. It _wasn't_ by choice, though. How could it be? Why would Bowser actively choose to serve on some dumb council over tending to Junior's most pressing needs?

Suddenly, Bowser vividly remembered the look on Junior's face upon finding his father in chains back when the Koopa King was first brought into custody by the Mushroom Kingdom all those years ago. _Junior's sorrowful tears flowing like bathwater from his beady, black marble eyes; the sight of his claws aggressively digging into his tiny palms in the unbridled anger of his clenched fists; and the way his entire body trembled like a beaten, wounded, horrified animal. Junior didn't understand what was happening. He couldn't possibly make sense of it at the time; no one expected him to. It was all so unthinkable back then._

 _Junior had witnessed the death of his father._

Not literally of course. Bowser was still very much alive. Rather, that had been the day that the "great and terrible King Bowser" died. Once he was in the Mushroom Kingdom's clutches, he was never going to be the same again. By the time Bowser was finally set free from their custody, he wasn't his old self anymore.

Bowser laid back in his bed and tucked himself underneath the blanket. Turning off the light and shutting his bloodshot eyes, Bowser tried to block out all of his feelings of regret and anxiety, which were brewing and swirling around in his mind. All the exhaustion in the world wasn't enough to chase away the reality that was haunting him.

Junior wasn't ready to become the king yet, and it was all Bowser's fault. Tomorrow, he would have to do something to fix that.

* * *

Why was this so difficult?

Peach was married to the most silent man in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario couldn't verbally probe her and ask her what was wrong, even though he probably would've wanted to if he could; and if he had actually noticed that she was acting quiet and reserved when she came home that night. The subject of the council's meeting ultimately never came up that evening due to their abundant silence as Peach and Mario enjoyed the last of their chamomile tea and the latter resolved to retire for the night. Peach sat alone in her castle's breakfast nook for a moment; accompanied only by the dimming light of a dying fire in the nearby fireplace, and her conflicted conscience.

Why couldn't she just be okay leaving the conversation the way it was?

Maybe it was her better judgement. Maybe it was because she knew that even though Mario spoke so little, he never seemed to have trouble conveying his honest sentiments through his eyes and his body language, as well as his uncanny ability to subconsciously request others to open up to him. Just looking at him, it was too hard for Peach to try to hide something from Mario. She found herself often compensating for her husband's silence by talking twice as much for the both of them. If he could talk, he would always be honest with her. Peach was certain of this. That would fit right in with Mario's genuine, selfless nature; the very one she married him for. Despite the reality that Mario barely spoke, Peach still felt obligated to talk to Mario herself, as his wife. Here she was complaining about Mario's addiction to adventure and heroism behind his back to Bowser earlier that evening. Yet, how could she think of herself as any better of a person if she wasn't even willing to _try_ communicating with Mario in the first place?

No. Silence simply would not do.

Peach had to tell Mario about what the council requested of her, even though she dreaded the answer she anticipated receiving. Bowser's final words from Peach's earlier conversation with him still lingered in her eardrums. _Or_ … _just say nothing, and risk putting your kingdom in danger from_ … _whatever the hell this threat turns out to be_. That was most definitely not an option. Peach set her tea cup and coaster in the kitchen sink and rinsed them. Then she trudged up the staircase to the bedroom.

The room was blanketed in shadows, save for the modest glow of the lamp on Mario's nightstand. The plumber was already nestled comfortably under the covers of their bed, peacefully lost in what must've been a captivating book; judging by the humble smile on his face. He glanced over at Peach and waved when she entered. The princess forced a smile of her own and crossed the room as she prepared to change down into her night gown. A moment later, she climbed into her side of the bed and pulled the blankets up to her waste; taking a deep breath.

"Did you have a good day?" Peach asked, breaking the silence at last. Mario smiled and nodded, then pointed his finger at her. Over the years, Mario and Peach found little gestures and ways of getting over the communication barrier. Peach would often begin the conversation, and Mario would respond with facial expressions, hand gestures, charade-like body movements, and infrequent words and noises. It felt like she was married to a mime at times, but somehow Mario's gestures always managed to come off as endearing to her. A pointed finger was Mario's way of inquiring about the other person, such as returning the question she had just asked him.

"Mine? It was…busy. That's for sure," said Peach. In response to this, Mario gingerly patted her on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Ah-ha," he spoke in a pleasant, cheerful tone. This was his way of praising her for her hard work, and conveying that he appreciated her for it. The silence resurrected itself immediately after when Peach didn't say anything, but she knew she had to break it for good. There's was no other way of getting around what had to come next.

"Eldstar and Rosalina did share news with the council today of something…troubling though…," Peach admitted. This grabbed Mario's attention. He put his book aside, shuffled around in the bed slightly, and looked straight into her eyes as he waited for her to elaborate. "We're not sure what exactly, but some kind of powerful, dark force is coming."

"Hmm…" Mario's eyes expressed a complex mixture of confusion and determined understanding.

"The Mushroom Kingdom might be in danger, as will the other kingdoms." Peach shut her eyes in preparation for what she had to say next. Her stomach was doing somersaults. It felt as though she was going to have to vomit her next words out. "The council is wondering if…you'd be willing to investigate for any clues of what this danger might be…" Mario clenched his fists and nodded sharply. After all, he had been protecting this land for far too long to ever suddenly deny a cry for his help.

"Mmm-hmm!" Peach practically winced at Mario's acceptance of the request. He placed his book on the night stand and laid down to prepare for his next adventure by getting a good night's sleep.

"But…you don't have to agree to it, you know…" Mario didn't respond to this. Peach was certain he'd heard her. But his mind was already made up as he was settling down to fall sleep. "I mean, you've done so much for us over the years already. It's okay if you'd like to sit this one out," she continued. "There's no shame in it." This garnered Mario's attention. He sat back up and gave her a puzzled look. Peach hesitated to say anything more. Had she said too much already?

"All I'm trying to say is…you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Peach clarified. Mario wrapped one gloved hand around her own. He knitted his eyebrows in concern as he stared directly into her eyes; attempting to penetrate the wall her face was putting up between her insecure thoughts and him. Mario gently beat his chest with the side of his other fist. The princess recognized this gesture as Mario's way of describing his duty or commitment to the kingdom. It became apparent to her that Mario was attempting to explain the importance of his role as its protector.

"It might not even turn out to _be_ anything out of the ordinary, Mario," Peach suggested. "Maybe Rosie's nightmares will just go away. We don't know for certain that they'll come true. You might just be wasting your time by accepting this. What if you find nothing?" Mario drew a star shape in the air in front of his wife with his finger.

"I…don't know what it means if Eldstar's having visions. But that's all they are right now. Visions." Mario banged on his chest with his fist again, although with a little more force this time. He seemed to be emphasizing how serious he took the words of the Star Spirits.

"But the Star Spirits can't _always_ be right, can they?" the princess argued. "Surely they've been wrong before." She bundled a portion of the blanket in her grip as this conversation dragged on. Mario shook his head at this. There was the slightest hint of anger flashing in his eyes.

"Why do you listen to the stars more than me!?" Peach suddenly exclaimed. "I'm your wife! Are you saying that my opinion doesn't matter to you!?" The harsh tone lingered in her throat for a moment after it exited her mouth. Peach hadn't meant for those words to come out, and not in that way. But when they did, the princess realized that she felt…good. It was invigorating to say exactly how she was feeling to Mario; to stand up to him for a change. She had to keep going. She couldn't stop here. Mario slapped his palm to his face. He didn't appreciate Peach jumping to such a conclusion. The plumber repeated his honor gesture a third time as he practically punched his chest. The difference this time, was that he followed up the gesture by pointing a finger at Peach.

"I don't care if you're doing this to protect me, Mario!" His eyes widened upon hearing that. "I don't need your protection right now! What I need is for you to _listen_ to me! You can't keep doing this forever, and I can't spend the rest of my life worrying about whether or not you'll come back safely! Why can't you just stay home for once and be my husband!?" Mario sighed and shook his head. He reached over and picked up his red cap from the night stand. The plumber ran his fingers across the rim of it as he stared at it intensely.

"You know what? Fine! I see where your priorities are!" Peach continued shouting. "Being a hero is just _that_ important to you that there's nothing I could ever say to make you stay! That's our reality, isn't it!?" Mario threw his arms up into the air, rolled his eyes, and aggressively rolled over in the bed to force himself asleep as he tossed the cap aside and violently switched off his lamp. Peach sat up in the darkness for a moment. She sighed.

"Fine then. Go," the princess muttered bitterly. "Be the hero. That's all you are, right? You're much too busy saving lives to even consider the idea that maybe I would've liked to have you stay here with me for a change. If that really makes me so selfish in your eyes, then you're better off going." Mario didn't budge, not that she expected him to at this point.

Peach tucked herself under the blankets and inched her body away towards the edge of the bed. She welcomed the sweet escape of slumber. It was the only way for her to free herself from the reality that she wasn't living the 'happily ever after' she thought she would get from marrying Mario. In fact, they had more than just differences in communication, they had differences in aspirations. Her happiness wasn't his. Not anymore. Or was that just never the case to begin with?

The following morning, Peach gradually woke up alone in her bed and was greeted with an eerie silence in her castle. She found herself intensely concentrating on the slightly muffled patter of her bare feet brushing the carpet as she strolled down the hall. She was desperate to get away from the thoughts in her mind, which were now busy replaying the previous night's conversation with Mario over and over again and shaming her in the process. She wasn't alone, however. At least, not as much as she felt.

The princess was greeted cheerfully by a myriad of Toads and servants as she went about her morning routine, but none of her exchanges with any of them felt genuine. Peach felt as though she were drifting aimlessly that day. She had nowhere to be, and nothing fulfilling or rewarding to do. But even though "happy" was not the first word she would use to describe her solitude, she wasn't exactly looking for companionship either. Peach glanced out the enormous window overlooking the castle gardens and noticed that Mario's red, top-hat shaped aircraft - _The Odyssey_ \- was missing from its usual parking spot.

She didn't think much of this. Ever since the conclusion of his globe-trotting adventure with Cappy, Mario often used the ship to travel outside the Mushroom Kingdom. What _did_ concern Peach - despite her best efforts to ignore her feelings - was the distinct likelihood that Mario was taking up the council's request after all, and was currently digging around aimlessly somewhere for some mysterious danger that no one knew anything about. Still, there wasn't much Peach could do about it now. She just had to swallow her regrets and keep up a pleasant appearance for the time being. Having been a public figure in her kingdom for many years, this was an art she had mastered.


	5. The Test (Part 1)

Junior re-entered his bedroom after concluding his morning shower. He picked up his tattered, worn bandanna from atop the dresser and stared at it for a moment. After so many years of wearing it proudly across his chest, Junior was just now noticing that it had seen better days. The menacing, sharp-toothed mouth that had been crudely drawn across it in crayon was now smudged and faded. The cloth had a handful of stains that refused to disappear despite the countless washings, and the continuous stretching and twisting of the material was causing it to gradually tear in several places.

Wendy had always insisted that Junior get rid of the 'nasty little thing,' and Ludwig and even Bowser had each tried on multiple occasions to convince Junior that he was getting too old to still be wearing it. But the prince could never quite bring himself to part with his bandanna. It didn't matter to him if wearing it as a young adult looked 'unbecoming.' This bandanna meant everything to him. Junior fondly remembered first drawing the mouth on the material as a child to try and look more intimidating as he trudged through a phase of shamefully hiding his baby face underneath it. Or when he used it to save himself and his father from the lava river on an adventure he could never forget. Wearing this dirty, wrinkled, aging cloth helped Junior feel safe. It was familiar and the distinct odor reminded him of simpler times. With his coronation now just two days away, Junior would've given anything to feel like a kid again.

Junior took a seat at the table in the dining hall with his breakfast. On the other end, Bowser buried himself in a newspaper in solitude. He didn't glance up once or give any sort of acknowledgement to his son's presence. Junior remained quiet himself as he was in no hurry to rock the boat after last night.

 _Ludwig was right. You aren't ready. And you know what? I doubt you ever will be_ …

Truth be told, Junior didn't have the slightest idea how to respond to such a comment. Surely he should've been glad that his father was recognizing the reality that the Koopa Prince was being pushed into all of these changes too quickly and that too much was being expected of him at his age. But still, that statement had come off as more demeaning and hurtful than Bowser might've realized. Did he not see how demoralizing it was for Junior to not even have his own father's support? It was bad enough that Junior himself didn't believe he could do this, but if Bowser didn't either, what hope was there for him? How was the prince supposed to move forward after hearing that? He suspected that Bowser wouldn't have an answer to such a question. Junior knew his father always had a habit of speaking without thinking first. Such outbursts were commonplace for someone like Bowser. Or at least…they used to be.

Still, was Bowser going to do anything about this? Was he going to help Junior at all, or was the Kingdom Council just too important to him? Deep down, Junior might've felt compelled to stand up and challenge Bowser's doubts under normal circumstances. He had been brought up to stand up for himself after all. But Junior had already admitted that he didn't feel capable of being king. There was no point in getting angry over his own spoken truth unless that anger was directed towards blaming Bowser for the latter's absence.

Yes, that was it. That made perfect sense. This was all Bowser's fault, whether he knew it or not. If Bowser really needed Junior to inherit the throne so badly, he should've done everything in his power to help his son get ready. But he hadn't done that. The question was, now that Bowser knew he had messed up and had even acknowledged that, how was he going to fix this?

Shortly after Junior's arrival, Ludwig and the other Koopalings entered the dining hall. Each one took a seat as they casually chatted amongst each other. The new additions to the table phased neither Bowser - who was still focused on reading his paper - nor Junior, who was deep in his thoughts. Larry took a seat next to the prince and took notice of the latter's silence.

"You alright, small fry?" Larry inquired. Junior didn't respond. His eyes remained downcast as he rested his chin on his hands. Just before he could speak, he noticed the dining hall flood in with servants, guards, and other various henchmen from throughout the castle. Kammy Koopa entered as well and stood near Bowser. Something was happening, but Junior was feeling too troubled to really care what it was. Bowser slowly set down his newspaper, stood up from his chair, and cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming here so early in the morning," Bowser began aloud as he addressed the crowded room. "I have an important announcement to make, and I strongly urge all of you to hear me out and listen to what I have to say before complaining about it." Confusion and worry began to swirl in the audience. "Now, I've given this a lot of thought recently. I'm not thrilled I had to come to this decision, but I have to do what I feel is best for everyone." The tension and fear in the crowd was growing. "I'm officially cancelling Junior's coronation." The audience gasped as mumblings began. Junior glared at Bowser, who seemed to anticipate this. He glared right back at his son as he spoke. "Simply put, he's not ready to be king yet, and I would be doing a great disservice to all of you as your current king if I left you in the hands of a leader who is currently unfit for the role."

"You can't do that!" a voice exclaimed from the back of the room.

"Yeah, you know how much work we've already put in just getting ready for this ceremony!?" another voice chimed in.

"We were just about to set up the decorations today!"

"I got all my best chefs working on the meal!"

"We just got done tidying up the courtyard!"

"This is bologna!"

"I don't believe this!"

"Ridiculous!"

One by one the dozens of outbursts poured in. Bowser absorbed each of them with his silence, though he appeared to be unfazed by any of them. The Koopalings spoke hysterically with one another as if they'd just been told the world was ending. Larry immediately looked at Junior, whose calm and laid-back reaction to this announcement was incredibly unsettling to him. The Koopa Prince continued to eat his breakfast quietly as he shut his eyes as if to block out all the concerned and judgmental looks he anticipated receiving.

"Your nastiness! Perhaps we should take a moment to talk about this!" Kammy Koopa suggested. Bowser folded his arms and shook his head.

"There's no need," he rejected. "I'm still the king right now, and what I say goes."

"But we've been working all week to get this place ready for the big day!" a paratroopa complained.

"I'm not doing this to punish any of you," Bowser replied. "I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. None of you are to blame for this. I'm sorry if this means throwing out all of your hard work. But I just can't make my son step up to this role when he isn't ready for it."

"But we've been bustin' our tails for _years_ just tryin' to get the squirt ready!" Roy shouted.

"Yeah, ever since you stopped attacking the Mushroom Kingdom, training Junior is all we've been doing!" Lemmy agreed.

"Please, King Bowser! If there's something else we still need to do, just tell us! We'll do it! We'll make it happen!" Wendy begged.

"I'm sorry," Bowser denied. "I really am. None of you did anything wrong. But the fact is, Junior just isn't ready." The room fell silent as the Koopa King's words sunk in. Everyone turned toward Junior to gauge his reaction. Many of them anticipated anger or sadness. Instead, Junior calmly gathered his empty bowl and utensils, pushed his chair back, and stood up.

"That's just fine with me," the Koopa Prince declared at last. He strolled passed the dozens of confused and frightened faces and exited the dining hall. Slowly, the disappointed servants, guards, lackeys, and henchmen filed out of the room themselves, leaving only Bowser, Kammy, and the Koopalings at the table.

"Lord Bowser, please," the witch began. "Talk to us. What made you come to this decision all of a sudden?"

"It doesn't matter," Bowser responded.

"But it does," Ludwig spoke. Everyone turned to face him. "With all due respect, sir, I simply cannot accept your decision." The Koopaling stood up and began to pace around the room. "You see, as Roy mentioned earlier, we have been working very diligently to prepare Prince Junior for this day. Anything you have deemed necessary for him to learn, we have done everything in our power to teach him." Ludwig stopped pacing and glanced over at Bowser. "We have essentially abandoned our previous roles of commanding generals in your army for this new purpose. We have each forsaken our own individual goals, dreams and other aspirations; all for the sake of your son. If you have no intentions of revoking your decision, then in my humble opinion – which might very well be shared by my fellow Koopalings – you at least owe us an elaboration of your thought process. After all our years of servitude towards you, we would graciously appreciate that much." Bowser sighed.

"How many times do I have to say it? You didn't do anything wrong. This is about Junior, not you; not any of you. I appreciate everything you've been doing for him. But as his father, I can't make him do this." Ludwig clenched his fists.

He couldn't accept that answer. Not after how hard he had worked to become Junior's magic teacher. This role was all he had left. It was his only purpose. He couldn't allow it to be taken away so easily. Bowser rolled his newspaper up and placed it under his arm. He coldly walked past Ludwig on his way out of the room.

"Then give us one last chance to fix him!" Ludwig blurted out. Bowser halted in his tracks. "Prince Junior still has his magic exam tomorrow. Let this be his chance to prove himself to you," the Koopaling reasoned. Bowser stroked his chin and contemplated the proposal.

"Go on…," said Bowser.

"Yeah! Give us one more day to get him ready!" Larry submitted. "And if Junior passes-"

" _When_ Junior passes," Ludwig corrected confidently. "Let that stand as a testament to your son's ability as well as the strength of our resolve." The room fell silent with anticipation. Bowser closed his eyes and crossed his arms to think.

"Hmmm…," the Koopa King mumbled. He opened his eyes a moment later and faced Ludwig with his answer. "Alright. You've got one day to work with him. Junior will take his magic exam tomorrow as planned." The Koopalings exchanged excited glances with one another. But Ludwig motioned for them to hold off on celebrating so soon, as he noticed Bowser wasn't quite finished speaking yet. "If he passes, he might be ready after all. But if he doesn't, that's the end of it. Not another word about this." Bowser shot a glare at Kammy. "Don't even _think_ of making it an easy test. Got it? The future of this kingdom is on the line here."

"Of course, your malevolence…," Kammy agreed. The group watched as Bowser marched out of the dining hall.

"So…what do we do now, Luddy?" Lemmy inquired.

"All of you gather your wands and meet me down in training room number seven in 10 minutes," Ludwig instructed as he began his departure.

"Where are you going?" Wendy asked this time.

"To fetch our pupil."

* * *

Deep in the heart of the laboratory connected to his bedroom, Iggy Koopa was toiling away at yet another of his inventions comfortably in his black rubber gloves and boots. His unbuttoned lab coat was heavily stained with the memories of his many trial-and-error experiments. As he adjusted his glasses slightly, Iggy paused and took in the atmosphere. The air in the room was radiating with the sounds of boiling and bubbling testubes and clashing cogs inside various bits of machinery. Returning to his work, Iggy twisted and tightened the bolt within his wrench over and over in a rhythm. His mind was at peace. It began to wander until the sound of his toolbox being knocked off the workbench erupted nearby; its contents clattering loudly against the floor. Iggy turned around to eyeball the disaster. Standing over the mess was Junior; guilt plastered sheepishly across his face.

"Hehe…sorry, Iggy," Junior apologized. The Koopaling sighed.

"Look, Junior. Not that I don't like having you down here with me or anything but…are you absolutely _sure_ you don't have anything better to do right now?"

"Nope. Nothing," Junior answered.

"Don't you have your magic test today or something?" Junior took a seat in a chair nearby and leaned back; folding his arms behind his head and relaxing.

"Not since Dad called off my coronation."

"…And that doesn't bother you in the slightest?" Junior put his feet up on the table.

"No, why should it? I wasn't ready anyway. Dad admitted that too. Now I have time to do whatever I want."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he's just trying to toughen you up for the role?" Iggy inquired.

"C'mon, Iggs. That's bunk and you know it. If my dad cared about my training at all, he'd stop running off with the stupid Kingdom Council all the time and actually stick around to help me." Iggy set his wrench aside and walked over to the other side of the table near Junior; leaning back against it and folding his arms.

"I don't think you're giving Bowser enough credit, Junior," Iggy argued. "Just because he's not here all the time anymore doesn't mean he's doing it to avoid you. He does care about you. A lot. You should feel grateful that he at least _loves_ you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if memory serves, your dad didn't have it quite as easy when _he_ was on the verge of inheriting the throne. Bowser had to overcome a lot more than one single magic test. He had to _kill_ his own father."

"Yeah, but things were way different back then, Iggy," Junior countered. "Dad had to get tough and become the king because Grandpa was crazy and mean and he needed to go down. If Dad didn't kill him, he would've never been able to marry Mom and I would've never been born," he recounted.

"Exactly, you at least have _your_ father's support and you don't have to do anything that drastic!" Iggy exclaimed. "So in comparison, is having to do a little hard training without your dad being home all the time to watch you really so terrible?" Junior looked away and folded his arms.

"Well…no…," Junior replied with a sigh.

"Remember when you were little and you used to tell us all the time how you wanted to be big and strong just like your dad?" The prince nodded. "Don't you still want that?"

"Of course I do, Iggy! But-"

"Well, Bowser wasn't just born that way. He had to work for it and get there by himself. Don't you think it's fair that you'd have to do the same?" Suddenly, the metallic door behind the pair was thrusted open.

" _There_ you are, Prince Junior," Ludwig called out as he approached the workbench. The Koopaling grabbed Junior by the wrist and turned to face Iggy. "You have my gratitude for watching him, Iggy."

"…'Watching' me?" Junior repeated. "I'm not a baby, Ludwig!"

"Oh really? You certainly could have fooled me with how immature you've been acting lately." Junior gritted his teeth.

"Well, sorry I'm not such a stuck-up, know-it-all like _you_!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Iggy interrupted. "How many times do I have to tell you two? No fighting in my lab! Not when I've got dangerous chemicals and explosive materials in here!" Junior and Ludwig ceased their argument for the moment. "If you really wanna slug it out, do it in the hallway." Without uttering another word, Junior yanked his wrist free and stormed out of the lab. Ludwig glanced over at Iggy. The latter had his arms crossed and looked as though he was dying to say something more. Yet he remained silent. Ludwig abandoned any efforts to press Iggy to talk and instead made his exit. Out in the hallway, the Koopaling marched past Junior and motioned for the prince to follow.

"Come along, Prince Junior. We have much work to do."

"Work?" Junior repeated, confused.

"Yes. We have one more day to prepare you for your magic exam tomorrow. There's not a moment to waste," Ludwig explained.

"Why bother? Dad cancelled my coronation. There's no point in training now."

"But there is," Ludwig corrected. Junior's eyebrows rose.

"Huh?" The Koopaling turned to face Junior.

"I negotiated with Lord Bowser earlier in your absence. He has agreed to reinstate your coronation ceremony, provided you pass your magic exam tomorrow." Junior's jaw practically hit the floor.

"How the heck am I supposed to do _that_!?" the Koopa Prince exclaimed. "I haven't practiced a thing! I think I read maybe four pages tops out of the first chapter of the book! You said it yourself, Ludwig! I'm not ready!"

"Not _yet_ , you aren't," Ludwig corrected. "But you could be if you're willing to put in the work this time." Junior eyeballed the floor.

"Why do you even care so much?" Ludwig hesitated to respond right away. He took a small breath and searched for the words.

"We haven't fought Mario in years," the Koopaling answered at last. "Training you to be our next leader is the only purpose we Koopalings have left." Junior watched Ludwig examining his claw. "But more than that, I consider myself blessed to be so fascinated with the enchanted arts. It is a gift; one that I deeply wish you'd allow me to share with you, Prince Junior." The prince examined his own claw.

"I…guess I never really thought about it like that…" Junior confessed. Ludwig placed his palm on Junior's shoulder empathetically.

"I understand how much of a challenge it has been for you to grasp the deeper concepts of magic. You've had no one in your family to teach you while you were younger and at your most impressionable age. Surely now that you have me for a teacher all these years later, you find that you are at war with yourself; grappling with an older, hardened mind which refuses to change," Ludwig described. Junior's eyes met his and he nodded. "But I believe it is not too late."

"It's not?" Junior repeated.

"No, Prince Junior. I am here for you. We all are. Before you admit defeat, why not give yourself one last chance? If not for your sake, then for our's?" The prince smiled.

"Alright, Ludwig. I'll try."

"Excellent, then let us be off." Ludwig marched down the hall once more, and Junior picked up the pace behind him. The pair headed straight for the castle's training rooms.

* * *

The remaining five Koopalings had been waiting impatiently in the training room by the time Ludwig and Junior arrived. Ludwig motioned for the prince to kneel before them. The latter acquiesced without a word. Ludwig cleared his throat and began to pace.

"Now then," he started. "For the sake of time, I want you to forget everything I have previously taught you about magic, Prince Junior." The prince stared at him blankly.

"But…won't this whole thing take even longer then if we have to start over?" Junior questioned.

"There isn't enough time for you to learn absolutely everything. Besides, without a solid foundation, I guarantee you won't retain a single thing," Ludwig answered. "Therefore, a new approach is in order; a clean slate. Unfortunately, I trust you won't have much to forget already…" Junior rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Uhh…hehe, yeah…"

"Regardless, I want you to concentrate on what I am saying to you right now. Only this moment matters. Listen to my words, let them flow through your veins, and they will guide your actions." Junior crossed his legs, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes as if he were meditating. The other five Koopalings stood silently and still; waiting for their own instructions. "Magic - at its core – is comprised of three individual types. These types are physical, mental, and spiritual."

"Physical…mental…and spiritual…got it," Junior repeated calmly.

"As long as you have a sufficient understanding of each type, your powers will be limitless. There will be no exceptions to your abilities; no spell you cannot cast; no incantation will elude you; no curse will control you," Ludwig continued. "All the same, you will need to demonstrate a basic comprehension of all three disciplines in order to pass your exam."

"Right," Junior agreed.

"We will begin with physical magic," Ludwig declared. He motioned for his co-instructors to approach him. Junior stood up as well. "Physical magic involves exertions and manipulations of the body. Transformations are perhaps the most revered form of physical magic in existence."

"But, how come I've never seen any of you guys transform or do anything physical before?" Junior inquired.

"Transformations are not the be-all, end-all of physical magic. They are the most advanced form of it. But, there are levels the lie beneath them which lead up to the existence of transformations; less impressive feats of raw power that still matter all the same. However, physical magic is also extremely limited in application. There is little depth beyond transformations, so most magic users find that their energy is better spent on mental and spiritual magic instead," Ludwig replied. "Still, it is imperative that you understand how physical magic works. Otherwise, the other two types will only confuse you more."

"Oh….okay," Junior accepted. "So where do I start then?"

"Picture your father, Prince Junior. Imagine his magnificent physical strength; all his punches, his kicks, his tackles and throws; every push and pull he has ever devoted even an ounce of his energy to. All of that, is physical magic."

"Really?"

"Yes," Ludwig confirmed with a nod. "For us Koopas, our physical prowess comes to life as a result of the natural energy within ourselves gathering and concentrating in one area of the body and fueling the movement." The puzzled expression on Junior's face indicated that Ludwig was losing him. Roy whistled and caught the prince's attention.

"Yo, Junior!" Roy called out from across the room and pointed to his bicep. "Just think of it like this. Physical magic is the stuff in my arm that lets me do… _this_!" The Koopaling wound his arm back and punched straight through a brick block; shattering it with ease. "Get it?"

"I…think so," said Junior. "Does breathing fire count as physical magic too?"

"Certainly," Ludwig replied. "Has your father been teaching you the skill?"

"Well…I wouldn't say teaching. But I've seen him do it a ton and I _have_ been practicing it myself for a while."

"Would you care to show us?"

"Sure!" Junior agreed as he jumped to his feet. The room fell silent with anticipation as the prince inhaled, then exhaled deeply to concentrate. The audience saw the energy manifest in Junior's cheeks. Then, Junior spat a series of small, thin sparks of fire resembling spit wads up into the air. None of them quite reached the ceiling before raining down onto the floor below. Larry and Lemmy stamped out the flames before they could set the rug ablaze. "How was that? Pretty awesome, right?" Ludwig pondered his response for a moment.

"It's…a little rough around the edges I'd say. But you certainly took your father's skill and…made it your own," Ludwig commented carefully so as not to break Junior's spirit. Junior happily accepted the comment as praise as he smiled. "With a little more refinement to your approach, I'd say you will have demonstrated a basic grasp of physical magic."

"Enough to pass the exam?" Junior asked optimistically.

"Under the circumstances, fire breathing will have to be enough. A transformation would certainly fare better in making you look qualified to be a king. But we simply don't have the time to develop such a technique today," Ludwig explained. "Let us move on to the other magic types and if time allows, we will return to physical and polish your fire breath technique some more." Junior nodded and took a seat on the ground once more; anxious to start the next lesson. His teacher was pleased to see him so interested in learning magic for once.

"What's next?" Junior inquired.

"Let us move on to mental magic. This type is considerably more difficult than physical."

"Why's that?"

"True mastery of the art requires a focused, disciplined mind; one that is not easily enraged, distracted, or manipulated. When you control other elements with an unstable mind, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Your mind _must_ be clear. Otherwise, the destruction can be ruthless and immeasurable," Ludwig explained. Junior gulped at the thought of the kind of damage his own insecure thoughts could cause.

Wendy watched Junior place a hand on his gut for a moment. He was surely thinking about his weight and her comment from yesterday about it being an exploitable weakness for him as a king. Junior caught a glimpse of Wendy approaching Ludwig and whispering something in his ear. Ludwig nodded in response, then stood back and allowed her to approach Junior. Wendy rustled Junior's hair, which startled him slightly. Then she kneeled down to his level. The prince didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

"You never came by my room after your training last night," she commented playfully. Junior tried admirably to hide the shock on his face when he realized he'd forgotten to do so.

"I…said I would think about it," he defended tactfully. "I never promised I'd take you up on that." Wendy smirked.

"Fair enough. But lucky for you, we can still do one of those exercises right now."

"O…kay…?" the prince replied, confused. Wendy glanced over at Morton, who was still standing with the other Koopalings.

"Morton, get Junior's bath ready, would ya?" she instructed. Morton chuckled and nodded. The large, grey Koopaling clapped his hands together and in the blink of any eye, he summoned a large wooden mallet out of thin air and held it. Morton then slammed the mallet down on the ground directly beneath him; causing a slight tremor to ripple across the room. Two large panels in the floor separated, revealing a small, circular body of water below. Junior had no idea the training room contained a tiny pool in the floor.

Morton twirled the mallet in his claw, tossed it up into the air, and then caught it. Suddenly, the mallet spontaneously burst into flames. Even more strangely, Morton didn't seem at all phased by this. In fact, the expression on his face suggested that he'd expected this to happen. The Koopaling began twirling the flaming hammer rapidly like a drill and dipped it into the body of water. With minutes, a cloud of steam blanketed the training room and the water came to a steady boil. Wendy yanked Junior's bandanna off from around his neck.

"Hey! What're you-" Junior shouted. But before he could finish, Morton hoisted the prince up into the air and over his shoulder. The Koopaling carried him over to the heated body of water, then carelessly tossed him into it with a splash. The water burned at first as it smothered his scales. But Junior adjusted and grew comfortable with it before long. The prince leaned back and rested his arms up against the pool's ledge as he relaxed.

"Comfy?" Wendy asked.

"Well…yeah," Junior affirmed. "But what does this have to do with my training?"

"It's like Ludwig said. You need a clear mind first," Wendy answered as she pointed a claw at her own head. "You're never going to learn how to use mental magic properly when you're a nervous wreck upstairs; and trust me, you are. It doesn't take a mind-reader to see that." Junior wasn't sure if he should've felt embarrassed or thankful to hear that.

"So…this is like a bath for my brain…?"

"Something like that," Wendy confirmed. "Now, just sit back and relax." She gently nudged Junior's head slowly under the surface until he was completely submerged by the bath. The prince shut his eyes and let the warmth of the bath engulf him. His senses grew numb in the darkness, and time slowed to a standstill.

* * *

Kammy wandered the halls of Bowser's castle in search of her superior. He wasn't in any of his usual spots, and his clown car was still parked in the garage. Bowser was still in the castle somewhere. But where? Turning a corner, the witch stopped when she saw a sliver of light peeking through the crack of a door slightly ajar. She slowly approached it to investigate.

Bowser fumbled casually through stacks upon stacks of boxes in the castle's dusty, cluttered storage room. He was looking for something in particular. But browsing aimlessly through his treasure trove of knick-knacks and forgotten memories was also just helping to take his mind off things in the meantime. His shell bumped the large cedar chest behind him. Bowser glanced over at it for a moment before turning back away and actively ignoring it. It was decorated elegantly with a pattern of roses and was engraved with a name that had too much meaning to Bowser. This was Celia's chest.

After his wife lost her battle with the consifrrus disease all those years ago, Bowser was so heartbroken that he shoved all of her treasures and personal belongings into this chest and locked it away in the storage room so he could try and forget about her. But while he had succeeded in forgetting about this chest up until now, Celia's memory had still managed to haunt him for many years after her death. The container wasn't locked, but Bowser couldn't bring himself to open it. He had since come to terms with his wife's passing. But even though it had been him who had filled the chest in the first place, Bowser refused to touch any of the items in there ever again in order to somehow try and honor Celia's memory by leaving her belongings in peace.

"I forgot this room existed…," Kammy commented. Bowser nearly jumped out of his shell from being so startled.

"Geez, a little warning next time!? You nearly gave me a heart attack, Kammy!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Sorry, Lord Bowser," the witch apologized. The Koopa King sighed.

"Whaddya want? Shouldn't you be watching my kid's training right now?" Bowser asked bitterly.

"Ludwig insisted that he and the other Koopalings work with Junior a bit more closely first. When they're finished, Junior will demonstrate for me everything he's learned and I will adjust him accordingly for the exam tomorrow."

"Don't you think it's pretty tempting for them to just goof off, knowing you're not watching them?"

"Perhaps, but I believe Ludwig considers this an assessment of his own teaching abilities as well. Somehow I doubt he'll take this opportunity anything _but_ seriously."

"Tch, whatever…," Bowser commented as he rolled his eyes.

"What exactly are you doing in here, sire?" Bowser hastily stuffed the various items he'd been holding back into a nearby box.

"What does it look like? Trying to clean all this crap up!" He coughed as a small cloud of dust wafted across his face.

"I see…and you chose _today_ of all days to do this?"

"What, you got a problem with that?" Bowser countered. "Junior's busy training, and I've got nothing with the council going on today. It's as good a time as any to get this done." Kammy stared at Bowser for a moment and analyzed him. The Koopa King appeared quite tense and uncomfortable in her presence. His arms were crossed, his mouth was bent into a scowl, and his tail was swaying back and forth like the pendulum of an old grandfather clock. All in all, Bowser looked as though he had just committed a murder and she walked in on him trying to dispose of the body.

"I'm certainly not trying to say it isn't," the witch reasoned. "I'm just saying I'm surprised you remembered you still had this room. The door's been locked for ages." Kammy glanced behind Bowser and managed to capture a quick peek at Celia's cedar chest before Bowser awkwardly jumped in front of her view. She turned away and sighed. "Lord Bowser, I am your faithful, loyal assistant. I wish you wouldn't try to hide things from me."

"Wha….who says I am!?" Bowser exclaimed.

"No one. But I know that's your wife's chest behind you. What I _don't_ know, is why you still feel as though you need to hide your feelings for her from me after all these years." Bowser peered over at the chest, then turned back.

"I didn't come in here for that stupid chest," the Koopa King corrected. "But even if I did, I don't care if you're my assistant. I'm the king. I don't have to tell you everything, and I'd appreciate it if you weren't always trying to grill me about her all the time!" Kammy approached Bowser and placed her hand gently on his.

"Lord Bowser, please. I simply wish to help you. I know your wife is still a sensitive topic for you, despite how strong you've tried to be all this time. But the last thing I want is for you to feel wrongly judged or ashamed of your love for Celia. It's beautiful how deeply you care for her. I have nothing but respect for you because of it."

"…Really?" Bowser asked. Kammy nodded. Bowser's eyebrows rose and he scratched the side of his head with one claw. "Even though I yell and call you names and boss you around all the time?"

"I've never once taken it personally, Bowser. The loss you've suffered would change anyone for the worst. I may not have known exactly what you were like when Celia was still alive. But I can only imagine you were a wonderful husband," the witch described with a smile. Bowser blushed, then cleared his throat.

"Yeah, well…don't get any ideas. You're _way_ too old to date me now, you old hag!" Kammy blushed herself, then chuckled hardily.

"Oh my! Lord Bowser, I wasn't thinking that at all!" Bowser laughed as well. This was the first time the two of them had shared a genuine laugh together that wasn't at the expense of someone like Mario. After a few minutes, the moment subsided and silence engulfed the storage room.

"Bowser?"

"Hmm?"

"If you didn't come in here for Celia's belongings, then…what _were_ you looking for?" Bowser turned to a nearby box on the floor that he'd yet to open. As fate would have it, this particular box contained the very item he'd been seeking. The Koopa King held the object in his hands and faced his assistant.

"Actually, this is perfect timing. Kammy, there's something I need you to do for me."


	6. The Test (Part 2)

Just as the sun began to set over the horizon, light gleamed through the window of the training room. Kammy entered the facility, having been summoned to inspect the fruits of Junior's arduous labor. The Koopalings seemed to be growing restless and exhausted in the meantime. Morton was asleep and rocking back and forth on the back of his shell on the floor, Wendy was filing her claws, Larry appeared to be zoning out and staring at nothing in particular in the distance, Lemmy was tossing one of his rubber balls into the air and catching it repeatedly, and Roy was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His sunglasses chased off any notions of reading his mind through his eyes, as usual. The only one who still seemed actively involved in Junior's training – aside from Junior himself – was Ludwig, naturally.

Junior was hunched over on his hands and knees; panting heavily and sweating profusely. Whatever maneuver he had just performed, Kammy had arrived a minute too late to see it. Ludwig approached his pupil, kneeled down, and handed him a towel and a bottle of water.

"My, _you_ seem to have been working hard today, dear," Kammy commented cheerfully. Junior grinned modestly as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Ah, Kammy. You're here. Wonderful!" said Ludwig.

"I trust his training today was productive, Ludwig?"

"Certainly. I wouldn't consider him a master of the three arts yet, but I believe he has a solid enough grasp of each for the demonstration."

"That's wonderful to hear," said Kammy. "Why don't we take a break for dinner, then Junior can show me what he's learned after?"

"No…," Junior denied. The group looked over at him curiously. "I wanna finish what I started. Right now."

"But dear, you must be exhausted."

"I can keep going," Junior argued. "I have to…" Ludwig and Kammy stared at one another blankly.

"If…you insist, Prince Junior." Iggy's words were still fresh in the prince's mind.

 _Well, Bowser wasn't just born that way. He had to work for it and get there by himself. Don't you think it's fair that you'd have to do the same?_

Junior couldn't stop now just because he was a little tired. His father wouldn't, and he had to go through much worse. Junior wanted to finish training on his own terms. He had to show Kammy what he'd learned now.

"Take your stance, Prince Junior," Ludwig instructed. Without uttering a word, Junior stood up and spread his feet apart. Kammy focused her attention on Junior and was prepared to not look away until he was finished. The prince clenched his fists, breathed in through his nostrils, and out through his mouth.

Ludwig placed his hands together, then thrusted his arms directly above him as if he were lifting a tremendous weight. The floor of the training room began to tremble. Suddenly, a large, stone statue of Bowser protruded out from beneath the ground through a magical portal of purple light. It levitated for a moment, then landed in front of Junior. The Koopa Prince stared his inanimate father down. Ludwig snapped his claw and in the blink of an eye, the Bowser statue began to vibrate….and move! It came to life! Junior planted his feet firmly on the ground and squatted slightly.

 _Here we go_ … Larry muttered under his breath from the sidelines.

An orange light began to pour from the statue's mouth. Then, a ball of fire launched from it like a cannon ball. It made a direct beeline for Junior. Similar to Ludwig, Junior smacked the palms of his hands together. He had to build up the physical magic energy in his hands and prepare his counter; just as Roy had told him. Just as the fire ball honed in on its target, Junior thrusted his arms out in front of him to meet it.

The ball of heat made impact.

The fire ball stopped in its tracks mere inches from Junior's hands. He could practically feel the heat on his scales. Yet, the projectile had been blocked. To the onlookers of the room, it appeared as though Junior were wearing an invisible catcher's mitt, and the fireball was resting inside it. Junior spun around in place. The fireball moved in perfect symmetry with his body. Once Junior had completed a full 360 degree spin, the fire ball was catapulted back from whence it came at precisely the same velocity. It collided with the Bowser statue's head and melted the stone into nothing. The Koopalings applauded. Kammy placed a hand to her chin.

"Well, he certainly has respectable control over physical magic," she commented.

"Well done, Prince Junior. Now prepare yourself for the second trial!" Ludwig called out. Junior nodded. The Koopaling waved his hand aggressively. The headless Bowser statue retreated its arms, legs and tail into is shell and began to spin rapidly like a top. It rocketed itself directly towards Junior. The prince stood his ground. The shell drew closer and closer. Its speed was comparable to the fire ball.

 _Yes_ … _That's it_. _Let it come closer_... Ludwig thought to himself. _Visualize the opportunity with the clarity of your mind_. Junior clenched his fists, but dropped his arms to his sides. The shell was only feet away from collision with him. Junior stamped one foot forward and jerked his head down as if he were about to clobber the shell with his face. The shell had just about scraped the claw on Junior's toe when suddenly…it froze in place. The stone object sat still; frozen in time.

"Did he…stop the shell with his _mind_?" Kammy asked, dumbfounded.

"Indeed. An exceptional display of mental magic, Prince Junior," Ludwig praised. "But I admit I'm curious. What will you do with it now? Proceed with trial three: spiritual magic!" Junior clapped his palms together once more, then lifted them above his head. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth to concentrate. By this point, all of the other Koopalings were paying close attention.

"The squirt's really gonna pull this off…," Roy spoke as he titled his glasses down to witness the spectacle with his own eyes directly.

"Let's just see…," Wendy added.

"C'mon, Junior. I _know_ you can do this…," said Larry.

A swirl of clouds materialized above Junior's head. Then from within them, a thwomp came hurling down. It smashed the stone shell into pieces. The room fell into silence for a moment as the last pieces of rubble rolled into their resting places. Junior fainted back onto his shell; short of breath. Immediately, the training room erupted with thunderous cheers as the Koopalings stampeded over to Junior and hoisted him up in a celebratory fashion. All of the cheerful demeanors and words of praised drowned themselves out around him. But Junior smiled at all the attention and praise all the same. Kammy smiled and placed a hand on Ludwig's shoulder.

"You've done well, Ludwig," she praised. "I believe he's ready." Ludwig smiled back humbly.

"Thank you, Kammy. But tomorrow is the _real_ moment of truth," he described. Junior was cheerfully escorted out of the training room by the Koopalings like the star of his own parade. Kammy followed suit, but Ludwig noticed Roy was lingering behind nearby.

"…Is something troubling you, Roy?" Ludwig asked. The bald Koopaling glanced over at him.

"Guess it shouldn't be…," Roy answered nonchalantly.

"…What shouldn't be?"

"I shouldn't be all hung up about…this…you…everythin' you're doin' for Junior."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you."

"Wasn't all that long ago that you couldn't stand the kid," Roy started. "'Member when Bowser and Junior had that accident and went missing for a few days?" Ludwig froze in place.

"Y-yes…?"

"I remember you tryin' to step up and take the throne right out from under 'em," Roy described. "You used to be so jealous that Junior was meant to be the next king and not you just cuz he was lucky enough to actually be born as Bowser's kid."

"That was a long time ago, Roy. Things are different now," Ludwig defended.

"Are they?" Ludwig stared up into his reflection in Roy's sunglasses. His eyelids narrowed.

"You don't trust me?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then why not save us both time and just speak your mind? Say exactly what you mean because at the moment I haven't a clue what you're implying." Ludwig took a step towards Roy. The tension in the air was rising.

"Hey, hey take it easy," Roy replied as his voice cracked. "I didn't mean nothin' _bad_ by it, Luddy. I'm just sayin' that I'm surprised. That's all." Ludwig crossed his arms.

"Surprised by what exactly?"

"Just…how different you've been acting lately. It's a good thing! Really! It's just…I didn't expect _you_ of all people to step up and help Junior when his coronation got canned. It's good that ya did, honest. But I guess I was just thinkin' you'd be _happy_ about that cuz you would think it means you still got a shot at takin' the throne for yourself somehow." Ludwig put his arms behind his shell and meandered over to the nearby window to examine the setting sun.

"I'm not a child anymore, Roy," said Ludwig. "I understand that I will never have the same royal privilege that Prince Junior possesses, and I've accepted it. Teaching magic gives my life meaning now. If I can feel a sense of purpose from training Junior then…that will have to be enough for me…" Roy joined Ludwig by the window and slapped his hand on the latter's shoulder.

"Good for you, Luddy. Glad to hear it." Roy turned and approached the exit. He stopped and motioned for Ludwig to follow him, but he was met with a dismissive palm.

"Go. Eat. I will be with you all momentarily," Ludwig explained. Roy gave Ludwig a thumbs-up with a grin, and departed down the hall. Ludwig returned his attention to the window once more and glared at the day's fading light.

 _It's what must be done_. 

* * *

Junior found it difficult to concentrate on the simple task of eating his meal when he was being constantly bombarded left and right with praise from Larry and Lemmy, who were seated at each of his sides. Sure, his tremendous rate of training progression in a single afternoon was nothing to sneeze at. But still, that was only a warm-up. Earning Kammy and Ludwig's approval wouldn't mean much if he didn't pass the real exam tomorrow. Everyone else seemed to be convinced that Junior could do it. Yet somehow, a strand of doubt lingered within the prince's mind.

A handful of times throughout the evening, Junior glanced across the table over at Bowser, but the latter hardly seemed to notice him. Bowser looked determined; as though he were focusing or obsessing over _something_ and couldn't be distracted by anything else. Perhaps deep down it was his father's approval and vote of confidence that Junior was in need of most. But he wasn't getting it right now. It was difficult to tell if Bowser was still upset over their last argument from the night before, or even what else could've been troubling him. Ultimately, the prince decided not to press his father for answers and remained silent.

At the conclusion of dinner, Junior departed from the dining hall. The Koopa Prince strolled about halfway down the corridor when he suddenly felt a hand latch onto his shoulder. Junior jumped around in a panic. It was Ludwig who was now standing behind him.

"Ludwig! ...What's up?"

"How are you feeling, Prince Junior?" the Koopaling inquired. Junior rubbed the back of his neck.

"A little tired I guess. I was just heading up to my room. Why?"

"I have something for you." Ludwig revealed that in his other hand he was holding a small teacup and coaster. In the dim light of the torch on the wall behind them, Junior could make out a red, steamy liquid in the cup. Ludwig held the drink out in front of him in an offering gesture.

"…What is it?" the prince asked hesitantly.

"A celebratory drink. You deserve a treat for working so hard today." Junior eyeballed the beverage, but still hesitated to accept it.

"Dad says I can't drink 'til I turn 21," Junior reasoned. Ludwig chortled at that.

"Oh, Prince Junior! This isn't an alcoholic beverage! It is a cup of my double cherry herbal tea," Ludwig explained.

"Oh…"

"Even if I _were_ offering you an adult beverage of that sort, you're on the verge of inheriting the throne. It would seem silly of you to follow your father's rule when you will soon be in a position that allows you to _make_ the rules."

"I guess that's true…"

"But I digress. You see, I prepare myself a cup of this tea every night before I go to sleep. It helps my mind relax and focuses my powers."

"Focuses them…?" Junior repeated. Ludwig nodded.

"Yes, and I am offering this to you because you might benefit from it as well. Now, I have no doubt in my mind that you'll perform exceptionally well tomorrow. But I sense that you are still unsure of yourself somehow." Junior looked away.

"It's my dad…he doesn't think I'm ready." Ludwig placed his hand on Junior's shoulder.

"It doesn't matter what your father thinks, Prince Junior, because he is not your teacher. _I_ am," Ludwig argued. "I saw more magical potential in you today than you have ever demonstrated to me before. But you need to recognize that potential yourself. That is the only way you will succeed." Junior rubbed his arm and stared at the tea in Ludwig's other hand. "Remember what you learned about mental magic. It can be extremely powerful, but you need a clear mind to take full advantage of it."

"I know that," Junior agreed. "You just make it look so easy, Ludwig." The Koopaling smiled at that.

"Well, I'm very flattered that you feel that way, Prince Junior. I'm certain a good night's rest will do wonders for you. But just in case, why not drink this? It might be just what you need to put your own mind at ease." Ludwig held the tea up to Junior once more. This time, the prince carefully accepted it and took a timid sip. The tea was incredibly bitter and it burned at Junior's throat a bit. He broke out in a small coughing fit for a moment, and Ludwig retracted the cup and coaster before they fell out of Junior's hands. The remainder of the liquid spilled out onto the floor.

"Uggh, you _like_ this stuff?" Junior blurted out. Ludwig grinned sheepishly.

"It has a umm…a bit of an acquired taste," he explained. "Now then, off to bed with you! And I kindly ask that you go to sleep right away and not stay up playing those video games of your's yet again! You have a big day tomorrow!" Junior wiped some left-over tea from his lip and approached the staircase.

"Yeah, yeah…," he acknowledged. Ludwig watched Junior ascend the steps until the prince was out of view. 

* * *

"Have you received word from the others yet?" Contemno asked while he was seated comfortably on his throne of stone.

"My boys just got back from makin' da rounds, soir," Contemno's assistant replied. "Everybody's in position and waitin' for da go-ahead. Better not keep 'em waitin' too long though. We're all getting' pretty antsy."

"Patience, friend. If we are to succeed, we must act with precision," said Contemno. There are a few loose ends that must be tied up first. There is no room for taking risks. Not yet."

"Yeah, yeah. I got dat already," the assistant spoke. "Just tell us what we need ta do foist."

"Start by sending word to Midbus. I grant him permission to take all that he sees. Just make certain he stops there," Contemno instructed. "After all, I did promise each of you a share in exchange for your services."

"Hmph, everybody 'cept _us_!" the assistant exclaimed.

"I need you and your group for a different task. Once all the others have been deployed, your role will only grow in importance. In the meantime, there's someone I need you to seek out for me."

"And who might dat be?" asked the assistant.

"A man by the name of Mario," Contemno answered. The assistant was silent for a moment.

"…'Mario?' Now why does dat name sound familiar…?"

"You were one of many whom were humiliated in his wake. I've received word that he's digging around looking for clues about us."

"Doesn't surprise me. Dat two-timin' rat was prolly sent by his sweetheart ta stick his big 'ol nose where it don't belong!"

"Exactly. I want you to find him, but do not engage him right away. See where he goes first," Contemno ordered.

"And if da chump gets too close?"

"Erase him."

* * *

 _Junior had only shut his eyes what felt like minutes ago. Yet now, he could already feel someone nudging him to wake up. He heard an echoing sound; it was someone's voice, but it was too distant for him to identify who. Gradually, it came into focus. It was a woman whom was speaking to Junior. His eyes cracked open slowly, and when Junior was finally able to see her face, the sound of her voice was coming in clear as well._

 _"…Ma….Mama….?" Junior muttered sleepily. The woman smiled warmly. Her emerald green eyes were sparkling and filled with light. She brushed a few strands of her crimson red hair behind her ear. Junior recognized this woman. It was his mother: Celia Koopa._

 _"Morning, sleepyhead!" Celia greeted him playfully. "Did you sleep well?" Junior sat up in his bed and stretched._

 _"Yeah," Junior replied._

 _"Good. Go wash up and come on down to the table. Breakfast is just about ready," Celia instructed as she exited his bedroom. Junior crawled over to the edge of his bed. It…seemed a lot bigger than he remembered._

 _The prince dangled his stubby legs over the bedside for a moment. There was a strange numbing sensation radiating through each of them. He wasn't in any pain, yet he found it difficult to move his legs for some reason. Were they still asleep? After a moment or so, Junior found himself able to get down from the bed. It was a bit of a drop, and he stumbled to the floor, but pulled himself back up._

 _"Weird…," Junior said aloud. "What's going on?" The strange vibes continued as Junior surveyed his bedroom. There were a dozen toys scattered haphazardly all around including building blocks and a teddy bear. Some of them the prince vaguely remembered playing with when he was much, much younger. But he also distinctly remembered getting rid of them. Why were they here now?_

 _Junior decided to make a detour to the bathroom first to splash some water on his face. He was hoping that his body's strange symptoms were just the result of a deep sleep he was still waking up from. As if things weren't strange enough already, Junior immediately noticed that the bathroom sink was towering above him. He was too short to reach it! Or at least, he would've been if there hadn't been a wooden stepping stool situated immediately in front of him. Junior specifically remembered his father getting rid of this old thing when the prince grew tall enough to reach the sink without it. Yet here it was now….and right when he needed it again…_

 _Ascending the steps and reaching the sink, Junior immediately stared into his reflection in the mirror. What he saw left him in shock._

 _Junior had aged back into a little kid again!_

 _His baby face had returned; complete with chubby cheeks which were blushing slightly. His horns had shrunk back into stubs and his front tooth was practically non-existent._

 _"What the heck's going on!?" Junior exclaimed. That was when reality slugged him right in the face. He had spoken to his **mother** a moment ago._

 _His mother had been dead for years._

 _Suddenly, a terrible surge of pain erupted in Junior's head. He clenched the sides of it with his tiny claws in a meaningless effort to suppress the feeling. It felt as though something in his mind had exploded. Junior's entire skull was pounding furiously as if it were about to burst. The room began to spin and the prince quickly felt nauseous. He lost his balance and tumbled off the stepping stool. Junior hit the tile floor with a thud._

 _Then everything went black._

* * *

"Junior…? Junior! Wake up, pal! C'mon!" a voice faded in. "Today's the big day!" Junior slowly stirred awake to find Roy by his bedside. He was back in his bedroom. The prince sat up and massaged his head.

"Ugghh…," Junior groaned.

"You feelin' alright?" Roy asked.

"Yeah…I think so," Junior answered. "But I feel like I was hit by a truck…,"

"Well, you must've been sleepin' pretty deep if they had to send _me_ in to wake ya!" Roy joked. With his job complete, the Koopaling exited the room and left Junior alone to linger with his thoughts.

 _What_ … _happened_? the Koopa Prince pondered. _Was I dreaming_? _Had to be_. Junior climbed out of bed once again. His legs weren't numb this time. He strolled across his bedroom towards the bathroom. His building blocks and teddy bear were gone. In the bathroom itself, the stepping stool was missing as well and the sink had seemingly shrunk back down to his height. That…or Junior had aged back up again. He examined the mirror closely. All of his body features had reverted back to the way they were before this phenomenon. Junior definitely looked 17 again.

 _But if that was just a dream_ … _why did it feel so **real**_? It all seemed too real to be a dream. Junior remembered the familiar, sweet, nurturing aroma of his mother; the soothing melodic tones of her voice; the radiant light emanating from her smile and her eyes. Junior remembered that woman in such vivid detail. But how? Why now all of a sudden? What changed in him? Before that dream, Junior would've never been able to identify his mother since she had left him when he was only three years old. But she was only the tip of the iceberg.

The toys from his childhood, the stepping stool, his younger face and smaller body. Where did it all come from? What did any of it mean? It couldn't have been reality. Junior was back now in the realm most familiar to him, and it looked as though he had never left it. Trying to make sense of it all was bringing on a terrible headache. Junior resolved to descend down into the kitchen for breakfast; praying that a hearty breakfast would help restore a sense of normalcy in him.

After eating breakfast alone, Junior showered, brushed his teeth, and made his way to the grand throne room at the designated time. His magic exam was about to begin.

The Koopalings, and dozens of guards and henchmen were all gathered around and chatting amongst themselves in anticipation. Junior was escorted in by Ludwig, but the two hardly exchanged any words before it was time to begin. The first thing that caught Junior's attention on his way in was his father. Bowser was hunched over in his throne; his head resting on his fist with a drooping face that looked sleep-deprived. He failed to notice Junior staring at him. Why did he look so miserable? How long was he going to stay mad at Junior?

The prince still felt a minor numbing sensation in his head, but it wasn't as severe as it had been in his dream. Eating hadn't gotten rid of it completely as he'd hoped. But Junior guessed that he would be able to ignore it long enough to get through his exam before telling anyone about it. Before long, the throne room fell silently. The moment of truth had arrived.

"Take your stance, Prince Junior," Ludwig spoke. Junior spread his feet apart and took a deep breath. It was just as he'd rehearsed yesterday. It had to be. It was the same test, and Junior had already passed once. He just needed to do it one more time and he'd be in the clear. Ludwig's words began to repeat themselves in the prince's mind. Junior glanced over at Bowser once more. Bowser was now staring at him, although blankly and with no immediately evident judgements.

 _It doesn't matter what your father thinks, Prince Junior, because he is not your teacher._ _**I** am._ Junior gulped. He turned his attention to Ludwig, who was now putting his hands together and summoning the Bowser statue. _I saw more magical potential in you today than you have ever demonstrated to me before. But you need to recognize that potential yourself. That is the only way you will succeed._

Off to the side of the room, Larry, Roy, and Iggy stood together in the crowd. Roy noticed Junior shut his eyes. He nudged Larry.

"Uh-oh, I think Junior's gettin' nervous…," said Roy. Larry examined the prince as well.

"Well, can you blame him?" Larry asked. "The entire castle's watching him, and he's got his whole coronation at stake. I'd probably be wetting my shell if that were me up there."

"What's he got to be nervous about?" Iggy inquired. "It's the same test, right? I thought Ludwig said he passed last night."

"He did," Roy confirmed. "But I heard that he and his old man were buttin' heads the other night. Bowser musta said somethin' that's got him spooked right now." Junior could practically feel himself trembling as he watched the Bowser statue slowly come to life in front of him.

 _Remember what you learned about mental magic. It can be extremely powerful, but you need a clear mind to take full advantage of it._ Junior found himself focusing, but on the drop of sweat slithering down his head, as opposed to the immediate task at hand.

"Are you ready, Prince Junior?" Ludwig called out. Junior hesitated, then nodded. "Very well then. Begin!" he exclaimed as he snapped his claw.

Just like last time, the statue's mouth began to glow with an orange light. The ball of fire emerged and flew directly towards him. Junior clapped his hands together. But just as he was about to extend his arms out to meet it, the prince's mind erupted with a terrible pounding sensation.

 _No_ …., Junior muttered to himself. _Not again_! _Not **now**_! Junior fell to his knees and nursed his aching head. A wave of shock fell over the audience. Junior tried to regain control of himself, but the pain in his mind was too encompassing.

"Junior!" Larry called out. Junior responded to his name. He looked up, but it was too late. The fire ball exploded in his face and sent him tumbling back a few feet away. The pain in his head subsided for the moment, but now Junior was left to deal with the small burn on his chest. The prince climbed to his feet; holding his chest in his arms.

"Are you alright?" asked Ludwig.

"Y-yeah…," Junior replied.

"Alright, then we'll try again." Ludwig snapped his claw once more, and the Bowser statue charged up and shot another fireball. Junior prepared himself once more. The pain in his head appeared to be gone for the moment. Junior thrusted his arms out to catch the fireball. But at the last second, his head throbbed and robbed him of his concentration. This time however, Junior muscled threw it. He managed to keep his hands up, but the physical energy he'd needed to build up in order to catch the fireball was gone. Realizing this, Junior used his claws to cut through the fireball instead at the last second. It disappeared into thin air.

Larry slapped his palm to his cheek, Roy looked away, and Iggy shook his head in disbelief. There were mumblings of disapproval growing in the crowd. Bowser glared at Kammy, who was stationed next to his throne.

"I thought you said he was ready," Bowser commented intimidatingly.

"H-he is!" Kammy defended. "I mean, he did it perfectly last night! The poor dear's nerves must be getting to him! That's all!"

"Concentrate, Prince Junior!" Ludwig coached. "Focus your physical magic!"

 _What the hell's going on_!? Junior pondered. _I did this perfectly last night_!

"Shall we try once more?" Ludwig inquired. Junior nodded. Without another word, Ludwig repeated the process yet again. The fireball rocketed towards Junior. To the latter's surprise however, his headache was gone. Junior was able to catch the fireball this time and toss it right back as he was supposed to. The projectile melted the statues head. The Koopalings all took a collective sigh of relief. Bowser crossed his arms. He was not impressed that it took Junior three separate attempts to complete the first task in the exam, but he wasn't ready to call off the whole thing just yet.

The exam entered its second phase. The stone Bowser shell spun and raced over towards Junior. Like last time, Junior stood his ground and waited for the shell to get close enough. The prince's mind combatted the persistent pounding and throbbing that was still wreaking havoc over him. Junior couldn't let this pain stop him; whatever it was. He knew he needed a clear mind to make his mental magic work, but the pounding was making it impossible.

Junior stomped his foot forward and glared at the shell. But nothing happened. The hazard collided with Junior and sent the prince hurling across the throne room until the wall caught him. The Koopalings winced at the sight of this. The audience was gasping and mumbling in response. Bowser clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Junior stumbled, but stood up once more and tried again to stop the shell, which was now coming back around for a second attack. The shell triumphed over the Koopa Prince again as it slammed him back into the wall. But still, Junior refused to give up. He tried again, and again. But he couldn't make the shell stop. His arms had been scraped by the spikes, his legs were bruised, and Junior's wheezing made it sound as though his lungs had been crushed. The shell looped around for its umpteenth advance towards Junior. Bowser turned to Kammy once more.

"I've seen enough. Put a stop to this," Bowser commanded.

"B-but sire…I…I know he can do this if we just give him a little more ti-"

"I said, _**stop**_ this," Bowser reiterated aggressively. Kammy sighed. She pointed her wand at the shell and shot a fireball at it.

Junior braced himself for another attack by the shell when it exploded in front of him and shattered into pieces. The entire hall fell silent. Then, all eyes turned to Bowser, who was now standing up from his chair.

"Ludwig, we had a deal, right?" Bowser called out to him. The Koopaling gulped, but couldn't find any words in his throat. So he simply nodded silently. "I don't know what you think you saw Junior do last night, but I'm not seeing it now. We're done here." The audience was too terrified by the severity of their ruler's declaration to say anything.

"I…," Junior began. The entire room turned to observe him. "I...don't know what he saw in me either…" Ludwig was dumbfounded as his face drooped with shame. The prince climbed to his feet one final time. Larry and Roy raced over to help him, but he pushed each of them away angrily. He couldn't even look either of them in the eye. Battered and bruised, Junior limped shamefully out of the throne room alone.

The crowd slowly dispersed gloomily as they realized that they would now have to cancel all of their plans for the celebration. There was nothing to celebrate now. Bowser had won the bet, and Junior's coronation was no more. The victor in this contest seemed to take no pride in winning though. Bowser stormed out of the room himself not long after without saying another word to anyone. The Koopalings were the last to leave. They stood together, unsure of what could be said or done next.

"He…he looked like he was in pretty bad shape…," Wendy commented at last. "W-we should at least get a doctor to go look at him."

"Forget it," Roy rejected. "No doctor in the whole damn world's gonna be able to fix his pride right now. That's where he's _really_ hurtin'…" Ludwig departed from the group and made his way towards the door.

"So…w-what should we do now, Ludwig…?" Lemmy asked nervously. The blue-haired Koopaling stopped at the door and gripped the handle. He refused to turn around to face Lemmy or the others.

"How should I know?" Ludwig replied coldly. The Koopalings looked at one another fearfully. "Await future orders from Lord Bowser…assuming we are to be trusted with any ever again, that is."


	7. Foreboding

The Odyssey soared high above the clouds as it ascended into the great beyond. Mario steered the vessel via the wooden wheel he'd installed at the helm of the inner chamber near the window. With this addition, Mario would be able to fly the Odyssey without the need for Cappy to be present at all times. The top hat spirit was free to live peacefully back in the Cap Kingdom with all his friends and his sister Tiara, and Mario embraced adventure head-on with his ship.

Despite the mild turbulence rattling the aircraft, Mario was alone with his thoughts and an eerie silence. Peach's words echoed through his mind, and the plumber pondered all the ways he could've handled things better the night before.

He cursed his inability to speak.

Maybe the silence had once portrayed him to be a man of great humility, and maybe that had played a critical part in winning Peach's heart. But after the honeymoon ended, the sinister underlying problem had been slowly coming to light. Despite their blooming shared affection, Mario and Peach were still different people. They thought differently and sometimes had conflicting ideals. So what did their happily ever after look like? How were they supposed to actually work through their differences if Peach was the only one in the relationship who could talk? There had to be a way.

Mario docked the Odyssey upon reaching his destination: Star Haven. He had to figure out what this mysterious force was that Peach mentioned. If the Star Spirits had a vision of something terrible on the horizon, this was as good a place to start as any for an investigation.

The plumber strolled up the sparkling road and glanced over at the dazzling water fountain to his right as he passed it. He had forgotten just how tranquil and downright beautiful this place was. It was just as wondrous now as it had been when he was here last; visiting on his honeymoon. Peach seemed to love it especially. Just as Mario approached the entrance to the sanctuary in the stars, he stopped for a moment. He proceeded inside anyway, but somehow Mario couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Welcome, Mario," Eldstar greeted. "We foresaw your arrival today." Mario waved, then extended his hand out in a gesture as if to say something.

"You have come to learn more about the vision of impending danger, correct?" asked Klevar. Mario nodded. The six other star spirits all turned to their leader.

"It is not a matter I take pleasure in speaking of," Eldstar began. "Not long ago, I was woken abruptly from my slumber late one evening with a vision of something terrible. A dark, sinister force is growing at an incredible rate."

"As you know, Mario, the Star Spirits are tasked with watching over the Mushroom Kingdom, and the other lands as well from above," Mamar described. Mario confirmed this with a nod. "But, Eldstar has sensed that a great change is about to descend upon your world."

"It is a force stronger than anything we have ever sensed before," Skolar added. Mario crossed his arms and pondered this.

"Despite your tremendous feats, Mario, we fear that this new threat may be too much even for you to handle; at least alone anyway," Muskular spoke. Mario shrugged.

"Despite the power growing stronger as we speak, I am unable to identify the source of it for some reason," Eldstar answered. "It is blocked by an overbearing magic; the scale of which has not been seen in millennia. It is fueled and feeding off of a powerful hatred. I sense much hurt and suffering at the source of this power." A shred of concerned sympathy flashed across Mario's face. "But make no mistake, Mario. This suffering is not a source of weakness. It cannot be used to dismantle the danger so easily. In fact, that suffering is what allows it to grow." Mario gestured with his hand as if to propose a question.

"It will be impossible for us to say anything more about this danger until it fully reveals itself," Kalmar spoke. "But when that time comes, it may already be too powerful for anyone to stop it."

"We have already discussed it, and we suggest you visit Rosalina at her observatory," Misstar added. Mario's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this.

"She has experienced similar night terrors of this phenomenon, and we have reason to believe that she has learned things from her experiences which Eldstar has not," Mamar reasoned.

"Go to her, Mario. Make haste! If there is anyone else who may guide you to the truths that you seek, it may very well be the mother of the Lumas herself," Klevar instructed. Mario nodded and turned to depart.

"But before you go, Mario. Heed the last of my wisdom that I offer to you," Eldstar began. The plumber stopped and acknowledged the star. "Do not succumb to deception. The darkness will seek to fool you; to dance around your better judgement. Very soon, all will not be as you see. Should you accept your own perception of the truth, it might very well prove to be your downfall. Your world is on the verge of a great change. You must decide what that will mean for you. Tread lightly, o' noble hero." Mario grew puzzled by Eldstar's cryptic words. He scratched his head, then nodded in acceptance of the advice. Without another word, Mario dashed out of the altar.

The plumber pondered Eldstar's words the entire way back to the Odyssey. Normally, the wisdom of the Star Spirits was borderline obvious. But this time, Mario couldn't make any sort of sense out of anything they had just described to him. A power blocked by magic? Growing through suffering? A great change? 'All will not be as you see?' How was anyone supposed to make any connections or come to any sort of conclusions with any of that? The Star Spirits had never been this vague or downright unhelpful before. Mario powered on the aircraft and prepared for take-off. Hopefully Rosalina's version would offer a little more substance. Thankfully her observatory wasn't far from Star Haven. With the Odyssey, Mario would reach his next stop in only a few minutes.

Over the mechanical hisses and hums of the ship, Mario could faintly hear another sound. It was distant, yet…it seemed to be getting louder. The plumber glanced out the window nearby, but saw nothing other than the starry skies around him. Just as his nerves were about to relax…

 _ **WHAM!**_

Mario tumbled off his steering platform and slid across the floor as the Odyssey trembled violently. Without a captain, the aircraft tipped forward into a nosedive and began to free-fall! Fighting against the forces of gravity, Mario climbed his way back up to the wheel and regained control.

What on earth was that? It felt as though something had just collided with the Odyssey. The plumber looked out the window once more. This time, he spotted the source of the incident. Flying in close proximity to him was an airship; a familiar one at that. Mario must've landed on his head. He mistook the ship for one of Bowser's initially, but knew that was impossible. Bowser hadn't flown a battleship in over a decade. At last it became clear.

"Fancy meetin' _you_ again, plumba boi!" a passenger of the aircraft shouted. It was one of four. Mario's eyes widened in terror when he recognized them.

"He couldn't believe it.

Flying alongside him were…the Broodals! The gang of devious rabbit wedding planners whom Bowser had once enlisted to coordinate his wedding with Peach! Fancily-dressed as ever too!

"Don't tink we forgot about all da trouble you caused us!" Spewart exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's cuz of _you_ dat we can't find work no more!" Hariet added.

"But dat's all about ta change right… _now_!" Topper declared. "Broodals! Show no moicy!" Mario clenched the steering wheel. He had to keep flying the Odyssey. He was in no position for a fight. His aircraft wasn't built for combat. The plumber gritted his teeth and stared his adversaries down.

Suddenly, Rango tossed his yellow hat like a frisbee directly towards Mario. As it spun rapidly in its flight, spikes protruded out of the rim from all sides. Just as the hat closed in on the Odyssey, Mario sharply turned the wheel. The aircraft turned and maneuvered out of the way just in time. This was all he could do at the moment unfortunately.

Topper pulled a lever behind him. The bottom of the ship opened up. A series of green, hovering top hats emerged and took off towards Mario. The hats circled around the Odyssey and boxed it in. Mario tried to ram one of the hats and break through the barrier, but the hat bounced him right back into another hat nearby. Mario was trapped like a pinball.

"Spewart, gum up his day, would ya?" Topper requested smugly.

"Wid pleasuh!" Spewart replied. The large Broodal in blue took a deep breath and exhaled a large glob of his signature purple acid. The liquid coated the Odyssey's exhaust pipe and golden propellers down below; causing them to malfunction. A warning alarm rang in the ship's interior as a crimson light flashed rapidly.

Mario gripped the steering wheel tighter. There was nothing he could do. Topper's hats had him trapped, and now the Odyssey's mechanisms were failing. He could already begin to feel the ship beginning to lose altitude.

"Hariet, show dis chump what happens when ya mess wid da Broodals!" Topper ordered. Hariet giggled. She spun in place and her ponytails flung a pair of bombs nonchalantly towards their target. Mario shut his eyes and braced for the impact. The Odyssey was engulfed by an explosion. Fire pierced through the glass windows and raced around the room. Thunderous booms roared and swallowed Mario's hearing. He could feel the immense heat crawling all over him like an army of spiders. The plumber saw one final flash of orange before his vision went black.

Smirking proudly from atop their aircraft, the Broodals watched as Mario's burning aircraft hurdled down towards the earth below like a comet.

* * *

"Sire, please! Is this really necessary!?" asked Kammy as she frantically followed Bowser back and forth across his bedroom. Bowser shut his suitcase.

"Yes, it is," Bowser replied calmly.

"But with the coronation cancelled, _you_ will be remaining as our king for the time being. We need you. So where exactly are you going?"

"To meet with the Kingdom Council." Bowser spritzed a small sample of mild cologne under his arms and casually threw on a sweater vest. To the uninitiated, it looked as though Bowser was preparing for a formal date that afternoon.

"But your next scheduled meeting isn't until tomorrow," Kammy explained. "Why must you leave so soon?"

"Because what I have can't _wait_ until then," Bowser reasoned. "Five minutes with Peach is all I'm gonna need to get her to drag the others along." Kammy didn't have the slightest clue what Bowser was talking about, but she was determined to remain at her superior's side until she discovered what it was.

"Must you really do this _now_?" Kammy inquired. "Your castle is not exactly in high spirits after the events of this morning. We need you _here_. Your son could use you right now most of all…" Bowser glared at Kammy, then walked away from her as he approached his mirror on the wall. The Koopa King picked up a comb from his dresser and began to tidy his messy red hair.

"Junior's not a baby anymore, Kammy," said Bowser. "He needs to reflect on what went wrong and how he can do better next time."

"B-but-"

"Failure's nothing new to us Koopas. Hell, I've been failing my whole life. I was the farthest thing from respectable in my old man's eyes, I got my shell kicked by Celia back during the war between our kingdoms, I always lost to Mario, and I was rejected by Peach more times than I can count. But I never once had a pep-talk from _my_ dad to cheer me up." The Koopa Witch greatly disliked Bowser's blatant disregard for Junior's emotional well-being at the moment; especially after how much Bowser claimed he was striving to be a more attentive and caring father to Junior than Morton Koopa Sr. had been to him.

"But don't you want Junior to succeed?" Kammy asked.

"Of course I do," Bowser answered.

"Then how can you expect him to learn from his mistakes if you're never there to support him and help him see where he went wrong? How is running off with the council going to do any good for Junior? You know how much your involvement with them has upset him over the years." Bowser set his suitcase on the bed and looked at her, sighing.

"Because I'm going there to negotiate."

"Negotiate…?"

"Yes, and when they agree to my terms, I'll quit the Kingdom Council for good and come home so I can be the father that Junior desperately needs." Kammy's jaw dropped. She was utterly speechless at Bowser's 180. He switched from seeming to care so little for Junior's suffering seconds ago, to suddenly making it his first priority. Had he...been working towards this silently all along?

"You mean…"

"You've done great work for me over the years, Kammy. I trust you. I know you guys did everything you could to train Junior and get him ready for the test. I'm not an idiot. But I could see for myself that it wasn't enough. I had a feeling in my gut that it wouldn't be, even though there was nothing I could do about it at the time." Kammy remained quiet as she listened. "But I can't keep making excuses anymore for dumping all the hard work on you and the Koopalings. It's time I took this matter into my own hands like I should've done years ago." Kammy was taken aback by the fire of determination in Bowser's eyes. "That's why I'm quitting the council so I can come home and help Junior bounce back from this."

"Bowser…," Kammy muttered. She was lost for words in the wake of her superior's resolve.

"When this is all over, I'll come back, sit down and have a heart-to-heart chat with my son and see if he even wants to try again right now. If he does, then we'll work out a game plan to get him ready to try the exam again. If we make it that far, I'll think about giving the coronation another shot. But it's time I put in the work to help him get there, instead of dumping the job on you and Ludwig. I can see that now." Kammy could feel her eyes watering behind her glasses. She was touched by the courage, responsibility and optimism radiating in Bowser's words. She took a step towards him and placed a bony, wrinkled hand on his arm.

"So…that's why you were so quiet this morning?"

"Exactly. I was worried Junior wouldn't pass, and I was busy figuring out my game plan in case he didn't. This is it. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that leaving the council is what I have to do. It's what Junior needs, and now I plan to finally help him."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan, sire," she complimented. "But the council has been very thankful for having your help over the years. Are you sure they'll be willing to let you go so easily?" He chuckled.

"I'm sure they won't," Bowser replied. "In fact, I'm counting on that, so I'm coming prepared." The Koopa King picked up his suitcase once more. "But I know how to twist their arms, and I've got something in mind they can't possibly argue with." Kammy kept a persistent smile. She was tempted to ask Bowser what that something was, but didn't bother to say anything as she already had another question in mind.

"What would you like me to do in the meantime?" Bowser turned to face the door but stopped.

"I want you and the others to look after Junior while I'm gone." Kammy's smile drooped ever so slightly.

"But Prince Junior is practically an adult. Somehow I don't think he'll respond kindly to the idea of being babysat. Especially not in his current mood."

"Normally, you'd be right. But after bombing his exam, I think Junior could use some cheering up. Give him some space. Don't mother him. He won't respond to that. But just check up on him every now and then. Make sure he eats and gets plenty of rest. A cold shower or two will do wonders for his mood. If he needs someone to talk to, listen." Bowser approached the door and prepared to exit. "I don't expect him to be ready to talk about what happened yet, but if he is, just…be there for him until I get back, will ya?"

"Consider it done, your Excellency," the Koopa Witch agreed cordially.

"Thanks, Kammy. I really appreciate it."

"Oh sire, think nothing of it. You know I live to serve you," Kammy clarified as she gripped her wand and looked away bashfully. Bowser turned around and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"No, I mean it. I don't say it enough. Thank you…for everything. You always put up with all of my garbage. I yell at you when you don't deserve it. I've treated you like a slave for so long when I should've treated you like a friend. You're always thinking about what's best for me, and I never give you the respect you deserve for that." Kammy opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped herself before any words came out. The look in Bowser's eyes told her that he knew exactly what she was going to say next. "Celia being gone is no excuse for me to be so horrible to you when you're just trying your best to help me."

"Bowser, please. You're selling yourself too short," Kammy argued. "You've changed so much for the better over the years. I've watched. I know it hasn't always been easy. But you're trying to change; to be a better leader and a better father. I've seen it. I believe in you. Everyone in this castle does. So please, have some faith in yourself; just as I do in you." The two embraced for a moment. It was surprisingly hard for Kammy to let Bowser go.

The Koopa Witch watched him descend the staircase into the castle garage for his departure. As much as this conversation with Bowser had warmed her heart, there was still a small part of her that was…sad. Kammy couldn't ignore a strange sensation she had been experiencing over the past few days but refused to speak of. A lump formed in her throat, and the witch held back her tears. During the entirety of her past two heartfelt conversations with Bowser, Kammy could feel a rattling in her bones.

She could not shake the feeling that something terrible was about to transpire.


	8. The Deal

"Did you check the courtyards!? M-maybe he's lounging around outside!" Wendy proposed in a panic.

"Lemmy and I did a sweep of the grounds this mornin'. He's not out there, Wendy," Roy answered.

"Well, where else could he _be_ then!?"

"I don't know," Iggy confessed. "We've searched this castle top to bottom. Junior's not here."

"Did we check his bedroom!?" Wendy asked.

"Duhh," Morton groaned.

"That was the first place we checked," Larry clarified.

"Check the garage then!"

"Already tried that," Roy argued. "Junior's clown car is still here. So the kid's gotta be hiding somewhere."

"And we're all positive that Junior didn't say a word to anyone!? Nothing that might've hinted that he would try this!?" Lemmy inquired aloud. The Koopalings all shook their heads gloomily.

"I don't think anyone has seen Junior since the exam this morning," Wendy described. "But it just doesn't make any sense! Where could he have gone? How could he get very far at all without his clown car?" The female Koopaling was practically hyperventilating.

"Wendy. Enough already. Relax," Iggy ordered as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Junior obviously doesn't want to be around anyone right now. But I'm sure he'll turn up if we give him some time."

"But Kammy said that King Bowser ordered us to keep an eye on him," Wendy reminded. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm _not_ going to embarrass myself further by failing him yet again!" Larry leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Suddenly, a thought struck him as his eyes lit up.

"Wait a sec…," he spoke. The Koopalings looked to him. "Mort, when we checked Junior's room, do you remember seeing his paint brush anywhere?" Morton placed a claw to his chin.

"Uhhh…" Morton replied.

"You know, that paint brush he's always carrying around. He got it from that island or something. Junior's always bragging about how 'magical' it is," Larry elaborated. Morton shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"I didn't see it either…" Suddenly, Larry's lips curved into a smile and he chuckled. "Guys…Junior's fine." The Koopalings all stared at him; utterly confused.

"What are you talking about, Larry?" Iggy asked.

"I know where he is. We don't need to do a thing," Larry declared. The Koopalings continued to stare at him. "Junior's fine. He'll be back." 

* * *

_A cool, gentle breeze wafted across Junior's scales from the open window. He blinked a few times, then stirred slightly. Sitting up, Junior scanned the room around him. He was back in his bed again as if he'd never left. It was as if the dream had started over. Only, Junior's mother wasn't there to wake her son this time. He never went into the bathroom or fell off the stool._

 _Sunlight streamed through the window. The walls seemed farther apart; the bed stretched to twice its normal length. The floor was populated with toys and other relics of the past once more. Junior pushed back the blankets and climbed down from his bed. He had reverted in age again. He was back in this bizarre dream world. Thankfully, Junior wasn't suffering from any abnormal symptoms this time._

 _Junior wandered out of the bedroom, down the empty hall and descended the staircase at the end. Every step felt like more of a significant drop; each was its own exhilarating thrill. This was likely due to his shorter legs. At last Junior reached the bottom and entered the dining hall. The air was packed with the delectable smells of cinnamon rolls and freshly brewed coffee. Nearby, Bowser was seated comfortably at the table; enthralled in his morning paper. His hair was well-kept and combed over to one side. He was dressed in a khaki brown jacket with matching shorts and a white, collared button-down undershirt. The Koopa King was also wearing square, thick-rimmed glasses for some reason. This last accessory was especially jarring as Junior had never seen Bowser wear glasses before. The Koopa Prince approached his father cautiously. He stopped in his tracks when Bowser turned to him and suddenly got up from his chair excitedly._

 _"There he is! Morning, kiddo!" Bowser greeted cheerfully._

 _"Uhhh…morn-," Junior started. His greeting was cut short as Bowser plucked him up off the ground and held him tightly in his arms. It had been a long time since his dad had been this affectionate with him. Yet, Bowser was hugging him now as if this were the first time he'd seen Junior in years. Junior pulled away from a barrage of kisses long enough to speak up once more. "Dad…what's going on?" Bowser frowned._

 _"Whaddya mean, champ?"_

 _"How come you're…dressed like that?" The two observed Bowser's attire._

 _"Hmm? I always dress up like this! Papa's gotta look good for another busy day of work, right?"_

 _"I…guess…," Junior forced out. This conversation was getting more bizarre by the second. "Dad…are you mad at me?" Bowser's eyebrows slanted with empathy._

 _"Mad? Why on earth would I be mad at you, Junior?" Junior's eyes trailed off._

 _"Because…we had that fight the other night and you stormed off after hearing all the awful stuff I said to you. You said Ludwig was right; that I wasn't ready to be king. Then I blew it at the exam. I mean…aren't you angry with me at all?" The Koopa King stared at his son as if the latter were speaking a foreign language. Suddenly, his face lit up as if a light bulb had just appeared over his head._

 _"Ohhh! I get it now! This is another one of your pretending games, isn't it?" Now it was Junior's turn to look confused._

 _"…What?" Junior asked._

 _"You hopped right outta bed and the first thing you wanna do is play pretend!" Bowser set Junior down and rubbed his son's top-knot. "I wish I still had your energy, sport!" the Koopa King commented with a laugh._

 _"Dad, I'm not making this up! What's the matter with you? Don't you remember anything?"_

 _"Only thing I remember about last night is reading you a bedtime story." Junior was steadily growing irritated with his father's absurd responses._

 _Bowser hadn't read him a bedtime story in ages; and certainly not the night before! What…_ _ **did**_ _happen last night? What day was it anyway? Bowser took notice of his son's intense expression, which suggested that Junior was deep in serious thought. He kneeled down and placed his palm on Junior's forehead._

 _"You feeling alright, champ?" Bowser asked with concern._

 _"I don't…know…" Junior replied. He rubbed his head tenderly with his tiny hand._

 _"Well, run on into the kitchen and ask your mother if she's got any more of that medicine for ya. Maybe you should take some after breakfast," Bowser suggested._

 _"Medicine?" Junior repeated._

 _"You know, that stuff Mama's been having you take all week. If you're still getting those headaches, I think it might be time we take you in to see a doctor," his father suggested._

 _"Wait…Mom!?" the Koopa Prince blurted out. "You mean…she's here!?" Shock rippled across the concern on Bowser's face._

 _"Well…yeah, Junior. She's-" he started. Junior couldn't wait for Bowser to finish. He raced off across the room and entered the kitchen. The scent of breakfast was the most potent in here. The Koopa Prince stopped in his tracks when he saw a tall, slender figure standing in front of an oven. It was a woman with ruby red hair dressed in a long, emerald green gown with golden embroidery. She had her back towards Junior so he couldn't see her face. He was hesitant to approach her._

 _"Mom…?"_

* * *

Junior jolted awake suddenly and jerked himself to sit up. It was all gone; the kitchen; the sunlight; the smell of breakfast; the woman. He was sucked back into reality in an instant. Junior's breathing was heavy; as if he'd just been drowning and was at last allowed to come up for air. He instantly began to shiver and wrapped himself in the ragged old blanket which was spread out haphazardly over his ankles. The Koopa Prince glanced across the darkness of the room at the fire pit a few feet away from him. The fire had long since burned out as only a pile of lifeless ashes remained. Without its warmth, the empty house had descended into a steady chill cold enough that Junior could see his own breath. Fighting against the bitter temperature, Junior climbed to his feet and journeyed into the nearby room to fetch another log.

He returned to the previous room a moment later and tossed the wood into the fire pit. Concentrating, Junior spat a small spark of fire at the log. It took a few shots, but the fire finally came to life. Junior sneezed, wrapped himself in the blanket once more, and huddled as close to the humble heat source as possible. But his trembling persisted.

 _Another dream_ …, Junior thought. He examined his claws. _What's happening to me_?

Junior looked up at the window behind him. The sun had gone down and nightfall was approaching fast. The Koopa Prince wondered when he fell asleep, and how he'd managed to sleep for so long despite how cold the house had gotten. The getaway home seemed so much colder now than he remembered. The very idea of winter in these forgotten lands seemed so unthinkable. But the sensation was very real. The fire pit and the blanket weren't enough. It hadn't taken long for Junior to realize this. Without them, he would've likely already frozen to death. But how was he going to survive the night with these supplies alone?

He most likely wouldn't. The only blanket Junior had managed to find in his parents' old home was dirty, torn in several places, and littered with holes. Junior could sleep without it and it honestly wouldn't make much difference. The fire was only helping to delay the inevitable. It would help Junior warm up just enough to fall asleep. But then the fire would die on its own late into the night. By then, Junior would be so numb from the cold that he wouldn't wake up to restart it. He probably wouldn't wake up at all. Attempting to spend the night in this freezer of a house was suicide. Was that for the best after everything that had just happened? No. The most sensible thing to do would be to just go home.

Home…

If only it were that easy. Junior wondered if anyone back at the castle had even noticed that he'd left, or if they had any clue that he was here. Did they even remember this place? The getaway home appeared to be just as empty now as it was when Junior arrived this afternoon so he assumed that no one was coming for him; not that he really wanted anyone to. Junior couldn't stand the idea of being around people right now; not after that embarrassing display this morning. He didn't have the heart to face the Koopalings, Kammy, and much less his father after failing them all as badly as he did. So for the time being, Junior vowed to remain here alone.

No friends. No family. Just him. Maybe the cold would toughen him up. If it didn't, then at least he would freeze here and die alone so he couldn't disappoint anyone anymore. 

* * *

Peach closed her eyes and steadied her breathing as time slowed to a stand-still around her. The target was waiting for her to make a move. Ready, the princess launched a powerful sideways kick at the punching bag hanging in front of her; dangling from the ceiling. She followed up with a series of punches, ducked, rolled around 180 degrees, and then slugged the bag again from behind. The bag swung high into the air, then returned to its sender with equal velocity. With determination burning in Peach's eyes, she met the bag head-on with a decisive kick. Then another, and another. The princess continued her onslaught of punches and kicks upon her inanimate sparring partner as sweat rained down from her pores. It felt exhilarating to get back into her training routine; not to mention therapeutic.

Peach had taken up self-defense training about five years ago. She had to do _something_ with all of her extra free time since Bowser wasn't kidnapping her anymore, and Peach was determined to make sure Mario wouldn't have to come to her rescue ever again. It was time she learned how to stand up for herself. Even though Peach hadn't encountered any real threats to test her new fighting prowess on since she began her training, martial arts provided her with numerous other benefits. Besides being a great work-out, the princess found that it boosted her self-confidence. Peach felt like a much better council leader and princess to her kingdom through these means of testing her strength, and gradually applying pressure to improve. Today however, Peach discovered that picking up her training again was also a great way to blow off steam after her argument with Mario.

Peach took a seat on the bench nearby, sipped her water bottle, and wiped the sweat away from her forehead with her towel; taking in the serenity of her moment of solitude in the castle fitness center. She looked up in time to see Toadsworth approaching her from the entryway.

"Princess, my apologies for interrupting your training," the elder Toad began.

"It's fine, Toadsworth. I was just about finished anyway," Peach explained. "What's up?"

"One of our council members is here insisting we hold a meeting today." As if on command, Peach glanced up behind him to see Bowser approaching her. The determination in his eyes was almost unsettling.

"…Bowser?" Peach questioned aloud.

"I hate to cut your sparring practice short, but I need to meet with you. Now," said Bowser. Peach sighed. Bowser's brash and demanding nature irritated her at times. This was just such an occasion.

"Whatever this is, can't it wait until our scheduled meeting tomorrow?"

"It can't," Bowser denied. Peach folded her arms across her chest and stared at him.

"What's this about?"

"Call the rest of the council over. I'll wait around for them to show up, but tell them to hurry."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I have a proposition," the Koopa King clarified. 

* * *

About an hour later, the majority of the Kingdom Council was assembled in the meeting hall of Peach's castle. Bowser had been pacing back and forth around the room impatiently; ignoring Peach's suggestions for him to take a seat and relax. The Koopa King refused to say a word to anyone as Cappy, Rosalina, Pauline and Toadsworth each took a seat. The impromptu meeting was about to begin when Pauline made a comment.

"…Where's Daisy?" she inquired. Peach shook her head.

"I don't know. I tried calling her twice earlier, but she didn't answer. She might be feeling a bit under the weather from all of the climate changes Sarasaland has been experiencing recently," the princess explained.

"That would make sense," Pauline agreed. "It's strange though. I've never been there myself, but I've always heard about how hot Sarasaland is. It's practically a desert out there. But I read in today's weather report in the morning paper that Sarasaland is experiencing heavy snowfall and blizzards right now," the mayor described. "Has this ever happened before?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Peach replied. "I mean, Daisy did give us those climate change reports the other day, but I don't think she was expecting it to start snowing there all of a sudden."

"Forget her!" Bowser interrupted. "Look, the rest of you are here. That's good enough. Now can we just get started already?"

"Very well, but may I ask what exactly we are discussing that's so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Rosalina asked. Bowser glared at each of the members around the table.

"I have a proposition to make, and I'm not leaving here until you all agree to it," he declared aggressively. The council members were all unsettled by the severity in Bowser's tone. It sounded as though the Koopa King was a few syllables away from threatening them. Peach had known Bowser long enough to know that despite his rehabilitation with her, he still had some deep-rooted tendencies to be forceful and somewhat rude. That being said, Bowser seemed different this time. The intensity in his eyes communicated to Peach that something was wrong.

"Alright, and what is it you're proposing, Bowser?" Cappy requested, following Rosalina's sentiment.

"I know we agreed on asking Mario to investigate this big scary threat that the old star warned us about last time," Bowser began. "But forget Mario. Let _me_ go instead." The council was taken aback as no one said anything at first.

"Come again?" Rosalina responded at last.

"Let _me_ go figure out what this threat is and I'll put a stop to it myself."

"But…Bowser, you're part of the council; part of our collective actions," Cappy explained. "Why on earth would you want to face this threat on your own?"

"I have my reasons," Bowser stated bluntly; folding his arms.

"Peach…did you even ask Mario to look into this matter for us first?" Pauline asked as she turned to the princess. The rest of the council – including Bowser – looked to Peach and anticipated her response anxiously. Peach sighed. She didn't enjoy being put on the spot nor being reminded of her unpleasant conversation with Mario the night before; much less having to discuss the incident in detail so soon.

"Yes, I _did_ talk to Mario about it," Peach confirmed.

"What did he say?" Toadsworth asked.

"He agreed to do it. In fact, when I woke up this morning, Mario was already gone. I was planning on mentioning this to you all tomorrow since I was certain the subject would come up." She shot a quick glare at Bowser. "But I guess it's more important for me to tell you _now_ , apparently."

"Well there you have it then," Toadsworth submitted. "There's no need for you to soil your hands with this matter any further, Master Bowser. Master Mario is already on the case and given his track record, he will most certainly resolve this issue for us on his own." Bowser gritted his teeth. He refused to accept that answer. Suddenly the Koopa King reached over and tugged on Peach's arm, much to her horror.

"Call him back," Bowser ordered. Peach stared at him in complete disbelief and pulled her arm free.

" _What_?"

"I said, call him back. We don't need Mario for this. Let _me_ go instead," the Koopa King demanded.

"But…Bowser, even _you_ told me-"

"I _know_ what I said, Peach! But forget about that! Listen to what I'm saying _now_!" Peach and Bowser stopped when they noticed the rest of the council staring at them, horrified at his sudden hostility.

"Master Bowser! I must ask that you control yourself at once!" Toadsworth exclaimed.

"Yes, why are you so insistent on doing this by yourself all of a sudden?" Pauline added.

"I already told you. I have my-"

"And just what _are_ your reasons!?" Cappy cut him off. Bowser sighed and shook his head. He looked over at Peach once more.

"Peach, just find Mario and tell him to call off his investigation. Let me do this instead. I'll get this problem solved. In exchange for my service, I want you to consider my debt to the Mushroom Kingdom to be repaid in full." Peach stared at Bowser, puzzled.

"What exactly does that mean? We need you to be a little more specific, Bowser," she responded.

"I want out of the Kingdom Council," he finally confessed. Shock glimmered across each council member's face.

"You…what?" Peach attempted to repeat.

"I've been sitting here glued to this table against my will listening to all of you; agreeing half-heartedly with all of your little bone-headed decisions and making smartass comments and small talk for almost a decade. But enough is enough," Bowser described. "If this threat is really as bad as we think it is, then let _me_ handle it. All I want in return, is for you all to allow me to resign from the council and go home."

"But…Bowser," Rosalina started. "You've changed so much for the better during your time serving on the council. We've treated you as an esteemed guest at this table. Why are you so dissatisfied with us to the point that you'll act and bargain so recklessly just to get away?"

"Yeah, and how do we know you aren't trying to get away from us just so you can change back into your old self and start kidnapping Princess Peach again?" Cappy added.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, OKAY!?" Bowser shouted. "I just want my freedom! I know I did a lot of bad stuff in the past. But I'm tired of bending over backwards and always doing everything you say. I want my own life back. I'm not cut out for this crap anymore. But none of you have ever given me a choice in the matter! Is wanting to step down really so bad!?" The council remained silent and let the reality of Bowser's words sink in.

Peach suddenly felt a heavy weight of guilt overcome her. Truth be told, they never _did_ give Bowser a choice in when he could stop. They never gave him any indication as to when his debt to the Mushroom Kingdom could be considered repaid. Sure, when Mario and the group had first brought Bowser into custody, he didn't deserve a say in the matter in their eyes. He was still a tyrant. He had so many crimes against the Mushroom Kingdom to pay for. But now, Peach couldn't deny that over time, Bowser _had_ cooperated. Aside from the fact that his personality was still somewhat unpleasant at times, the Koopa King still went along with all of the rehabilitation. He followed the rules and orders that were given to him. Despite his consistent venting and frustrations over the years about the absurdity of democracy and serving on a council, Bowser still ultimately played along.

He worked hard and made a lot of progress in repairing his reputation in the Mushroom Kingdom. In spite of this however, no one on the council had ever once stopped to really consider all of the sacrifices Bowser was being forced to make in order to be here now. He had a son and hundreds of loyal servants, friends, and followers whom he was being forced to neglect in order to serve on the council. He never had any free time; no chance to truly express himself or apply his personality changes from his therapy in other areas of his life. He had no work-life balance whatsoever. Bowser was essentially still a slave. Peach also remembered her conversation with Bowser the other night. She vividly recalled his jealousy towards Mario marrying her instead of him, and his heartbreak over the loss of his own wife.

Bowser was carrying so much baggage in his life. The Kingdom Council was only making his burden even worse.

Was this why he was always so bitter at the meetings? How could the council sit here and preach about positive change and freedom from tyranny when they were still essentially keeping Bowser as their prisoner? Upon reaching this realization, Peach resolved that something had to change right now.

"He's right," said Peach at last. "Bowser has lived under our supervision long enough. It's time we let him go free."

"But…your highness...," Toadsworth started.

"Toadsworth, we're no better than how Bowser used to be if we continue to keep him here against his will," the princess asserted. She turned to face Bowser. The determination in her eyes was new to him. "If you can take care of this threat for us, your debt will be repaid and you can resign from the council. That's what you want, right?" Bowser nodded.

"Princess! Princess!" Toad exclaimed as he scurried into the meeting room unannounced. He was short of breath when he reached Peach's side.

"What is it, Toad? What's wrong?" she asked. He held a small box up to her face. It appeared to be open already, but the ends were folded back over; hiding the contents inside from immediate view.

"We just received this package! You have to see this right now!" Toad explained. Peach took the box in her hands and slowly opened it. The color drained from her face when she saw what was inside. The rest of the council watched anxiously from their seats in anticipation.

Inside the box was Mario's signature red cap.

It was severely damaged, torn, and scorched with black markings as if it had been burned. The entire room eyeballed the cap with horror. Even Bowser was shocked by this development. Peach dug around in the box with her free hand and found a small sheet of paper. It was a note written in a sinister purple font. The words were practically glowing; as if the note had been written in a magic ink.

 ** _Consider this a warning._**

 ** _You're next._**

Peach read the note several times over, then twice aloud for the rest of the room to hear. It didn't get any easier to stomach what she read. Peach sat down and looked as though she was about to be sick as she covered her mouth with her gloved hand. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Pauline jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Peach to console her. Bowser snatched up the note and read it silently to himself as he tried to form his own assessment of the situation.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Toad, who would have the nerve to make such an awful delivery!?"

"I don't know!" Toad replied. "The box just fell out of the sky and landed in front of me!"

"What on earth is going on!?" Cappy interjected. "Who would do such a thing!?" Rosalina requested to examine the note for herself as she took it from Bowser.

"It's the dangerous force," said Rosalina. "The one that Eldstar spoke of, and what my nightmares have been about. I'm certain of it. Whoever wrote this is connected to the threat."

"Master Mario…," Toadsworth spoke. He didn't have the heart to finish his thought.

"Wait a second…," Cappy inserted. "This is Bowser's doing!" he accused. Everyone turned to the Koopa King. Bowser's jaw dropped.

"What!? Get real, hat-boy! I didn't do this!" Bowser defended.

"Why not!? It would make perfect sense!" Cappy argued as he began to hover around the room. "You told us earlier that you were not going to leave until we agreed to your proposition. That sounds pretty desperate if you ask me. You probably did something to Mario and planned to use this package just to threaten us into giving in to your demands, you monster!"

"Oh come on!" Bowser retaliated.

"He's right," Pauline added. "Look at it. The hat's covered in burn marks. No doubt as a result of coming into contact with _your_ fire breath. You just want to get away from the council so you can go right back into doing horrible things again. Without Mario around, what other choice would we have except to give in to your demands?" Bowser was about ready to blow fire across the room in response to these accusations. But just before he could speak…

"No…Bowser didn't do this," Peach defended from Pauline's side. She wiped her tears away and composed herself for the moment.

"How can we be sure of that, Peach?" Pauline asked. The princess requested the note once more.

"Because there's no signature on this note, or any sort of return address on the box," Peach responded. "Whoever did this doesn't want us to know their identity. In all the years that Bowser has kidnapped me, he's never once tried to hide his involvement. In fact, he always used to brag whenever he did something terrible." Bowser's tail curved nervously upon hearing this truth. "If Bowser actually did this, then he wouldn't be trying to deny it right now."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself," said Bowser. "I take pride in my work. I _wish_ I could take credit and say that I did this to Mario. But the fact is, I didn't. When would I possibly have had the time to pull off a stunt like this anyway when I'm always busy sitting here with all of you every week?"

"Well…," Cappy started. Truth be told, he didn't have much more evidence to argue otherwise.

"Exactly," Rosalina chimed in again. "I have no doubt in my mind that the person who is capable of hurting Mario in this way is someone powerful; powerful enough to orchestrate the danger we fear is coming. I do not believe that Bowser is our culprit. However, I _do_ believe the stars aligned for our meeting here today."

"What do you mean by that?" Pauline inquired.

"I believe we were all meant to gather here today to have this discussion," Rosalina continued. "We should accept Bowser's offer and enlist his help in combating the threat at hand. Not only because we have kept him under our supervision long enough and he has long since earned his freedom back. But also because besides Mario, Bowser is the only one who has immediately risen to the occasion. I believe the stars intended for this to happen. Still, now I pray that Mario isn't…" Peach broke down into tears again before Rosalina could finish her thought. In Peach's emotional absence, Toadsworth rose from his chair, grabbed his cane, and approached Bowser. He cleared his throat.

"Master Bowser, in light of this troubling development, I think I can safely speak on behalf of the entire Kingdom Council when I say that we welcome and would greatly appreciate your service in combating this mysterious threat." The elder Toad scanned the room. Rosalina and Pauline each nodded. Cappy looked slightly reluctant, but ultimately agreed to the sentiment as well. "Henceforth, here is the council's proposition to you, so I urge you to listen well." Toadsworth cleared his throat once more. "Go forth and locate the source of this prophesied danger. Destroy it. Locate Master Mario if you are able to, and bring him home. If you are successful in completing these tasks, the council will consider your debt to the Mushroom Kingdom to be officially repaid in full, and you will be allowed to resign from the council. Provided however, that you abandon your old, malicious ways for good." The room filled with silence as the council awaited Bowser's response.

"I accept," Bowser agreed with a hard nod.

"Excellent. I suggest you accompany Miss Rosalina. Her nocturnal visions may provide you with deeper insights as to where your investigation into the threat should begin," Toadsworth explained.

"Yes," Rosalina confirmed. "If you would be willing to escort me to the meditation room of my comet observatory, I may be able to channel my visions on a deeper level there and aid you in your quest somehow."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get a move on then," Bowser declared as he made his way towards the room's exit.

"Good luck, Bowser," said Pauline. "Please report back to us as soon as you can."

"Yes, and if there's any way we can help you, please do not hesitate to ask," Cappy added.

"May the stars guide you safely," Toadsworth declared. 

* * *

Out in the courtyard in front of Peach's castle, Bowser and Rosalina were preparing to begin their trek towards Shooting Star Summit. Rosalina had explained to him that they would need to access the trail known as Star Way to reach a launch star that would take them back to her observatory. But just as the pair began walking, they were stopped by a voice.

"Bowser!" someone called out. The Koopa King turned to find Peach hurrying towards him; tightly gripping bundles of her dress in her hands. Her make-up was terribly smudged; no doubt over her sorrow towards the most recent development with Mario.

"Peach…what is it?" Bowser asked. She was panting and needed a moment to catch her breath.

"I'm coming with you!" Peach exclaimed. Bowser sighed and shook his head.

"Peach…no, I-"

"Bowser, Mario is my husband! I _have_ to know what happened to him and if he's okay!" Rosalina resolved to step away and give the two a moment alone.

"I'm gonna figure that out for you," Bowser reasoned.

"That's not good enough! It's my fault for letting him go in the first place!" Peach gripped Bowser's forearms and shook him aggressively. "Bowser…please. Take me with you."

"It's too dangerous. If Mario couldn't handle whatever's out there, then there's no way we should expect _you_ to be up to the task."

"Well…then, _you_ shouldn't be going alone either! What if…whatever this danger is gets you too?" Bowser chuckled.

"C'mon, princess. Give me a little more credit. Mario may be stubborn, but I don't shake off that easily either. I'll be fine. You need to be here with your kingdom; with your people." Peach's agreement with the sentiment drowned out any further argument from her. He lifted her chin tenderly with his claw as their eyes met. "If you really wanna help me, stay here where it's safe. I'll be fine knowing I won't lose _you_ too…," Bowser explained. Peach blushed. She knew the full weight behind that statement, and she felt honored to be perhaps one of the few souls on earth to be in on such a heavy-hearted truth.

Bowser treasured Peach as much as his late wife, if not more.

It took Peach a moment to find any other words after that. The princess felt compelled to say something more, but didn't dare press Bowser to bring up the subject of his wife in any further detail. She resolved to change the subject slightly.

"But, were you really just going to leave without saying goodbye to me?" Peach asked at last, sounding almost insulted.

"I figured you just needed time alone to-"

"Bowser…," Peach started again. "I'm sorry."

"…What?"

"I'm sorry for enslaving you to my kingdom for as long as I did. I completely understand if you resent me for it," said Peach. He caressed her face in the palm of his hand.

"Peach, I'll never resent you. No matter what you do to me," Bowser declared, smiling. "I didn't get a chance to say this back there, but I'm actually doing all of this for Junior, you know."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. It's just that…he really needs me back home. I see that now. I can't be the dad he needs if I'm busy with council stuff all the time." Peach smiled back.

"I understand."

"But now it's all gonna change. I'm gonna get this done and get back home to him as fast as I can."

"That's good," Peach agreed. Her smile faded. Her previous resolve just couldn't last. "Listen, I'm…sorry I pushed you the other night. You know…to talk about your wife…" Bowser held a palm to her.

"Forget it. You were just curious. Don't beat yourself up about it. You didn't know." Bowser turned away from Peach and started walking again. Peach couldn't explain what happened next, if asked. Her body took full control before her mind could think. Peach ran after Bowser and embraced him with all of her might. The Koopa King acknowledged her once more. He held her tenderly in his arms.

"Bowser…please. I'm asking you as a friend. Bring Mario back safely."

"Leave it to me," Bowser agreed, flashing a grin with his teeth.

"But even more than that… _please_ be careful. Make sure _you_ make it back home too. If Mario is…actually gone and then I were to lose you too…I….," Peach spoke. Bowser caught her tear with his claw.

"I'll come back. I promise," Bowser declared softly. Peach intended to make Bowser cling to that promise with every fiber of his being. To solidify the deal, she stood up on her toes and kissed Bowser on the cheek.

"I'll hold you to that."


	9. Her Name

Another day passed as Junior meandered aimlessly around his parents' empty getaway home. The small supply of edible food in the kitchen had long since been depleted, and now Junior had to grapple with the growing hunger pains that were forming in his stomach and growing in power as they sapped him of his strength. This was a battle he was only continuing to lose as the hours went by. There wasn't enough wood left in the pile in the other room to start another fire. The days were warm enough to keep the house inhabitable, but Junior was confident that he simply could not stay here another night. Tonight, he would have to sleep somewhere else or risk freezing to death yet again.

Junior's hands and feet were gradually turning red and growing increasingly numb from the unforgiving cold of the evenings. The Koopa Prince resolved to wrap them in athletic tape, which he found in a first aid kit in the closet. He was no medical expert, so Junior was confident that athletic tape was hardly an ideal cure for frostbite. But leaving his fingers and toes completely exposed wasn't helping either, so this solution was better than nothing as far as he was concerned. It was the best he could do at the moment since Junior was too ashamed to seek out medical assistance at the castle.

If Bowser were here, he would've probably had a better idea for frostbite treatment. After all, he seemed to know exactly how to take care of his son the last time the two of them were here. Junior fondly remembered the evening he and his father spent in this house together all those years ago; bending Junior's fractured arm back into place and putting it in a makeshift cast, spoon-feeding him that delicious jerky and dried shroom soup, comforting Junior emotionally and chasing away his doubts and regrets, and later tucking him into bed by the fireplace. Sure, the rest of that journey that had brought them here may have been a headache to reflect upon. But for Junior, that single night he spent with his father in this house was a good memory. It was the last one he could fondly remember, and it was sadly over a decade ago.

It hurt Junior to move any parts of his body at all. He was bruised and sore from the exam the other day. His cuts stung, and his bruises made it next to impossible to rest in any number of positions. Junior couldn't go on like this forever; cold, hurt, hungry and alone. But he just couldn't bring himself to go home either. His broken spirit was the most painful part to deal with in all of this. His body was screaming for Junior to go home, but his mind just couldn't justify it. The Koopa Prince was trapped in a never-ending war with himself. He was convinced that this was a necessary suffering. But what kind of person would he be if he ever managed to overcome it?

Shuffling and shifting uncomfortably on the dusty wooden floor, Junior abandoned his efforts to rest and resolved to get up. But that last part was easier said than done. Junior winced as his wounds brushed against the floor while the prince twisted, rolled and floundered about. Every time a bruise made contact with the surface beneath him, Junior immediately jolted the corresponding part of his body back in retaliation the pain. Getting up on his own was practically impossible at this point. But there was no one around to help him either. Eventually, Junior managed to roll over onto his stomach. He began to crawl on his hands and knees over towards the wall nearby and reached up for the object resting against it.

It was his magic paint brush; the only trustworthy companion the Koopa Prince had left. This deceptively simple paintbrush had fully embraced Junior's wildest fantasies over the years and always managed to make his dreams come true. Anywhere Junior wanted to go; anywhere at all, he could. By simply painting a portal on just about any solid surface and hopping in, the Koopa Prince could take himself wherever his heart desired in an instant. The brush was how he'd managed to make Mario's life such a living hell back on Isle Delfino, and now it had helped him escape here to the getaway home when Junior needed to run away from his father's castle in shame. The magic paintbrush never judged Junior for what he was feeling whenever he used it. The brush never questioned him. It had no sense of right or wrong. It was eternally obedient and loyal to Junior alone. It would never work in the hands of anyone other than its original master. The paintbrush offered Junior a comfortable sense of freedom and escape that was rivaled only by his childhood bandanna.

Junior gripped the paintbrush and used it to hoist himself up to his feet. Once there, the Koopa Prince proceeded to lean on the brush as a makeshift cane and use it to aid him as he limped around the house. The rhythmic tap of the brush's plastic tip coming into contact with the floorboards was a simple sound, but it pierced through the eerie silence of the house in a way that comforted Junior and made him feel less alone and as less of a solitary prisoner to his crippling thoughts.

Junior wandered into the storage room of the house where the pile of firewood once resided before it had been depleted. The Koopa Prince began to haphazardly browse through the contents of the boxes scattered all about the space. He was desperate to find anything to get his mind off of his injuries and immense hunger. The boxes seemed to be packed to the brim with useless junk from Bowser's past. Junior found a plethora of obscure knick-knacks, photos of unfamiliar faces, souvenirs of foreign places and mementos that held no meaning to him. Junior didn't know what he was looking for, nor was he confident that anything he did manage to find here would prove valuable to him. Yet he continued to browse.

The Koopa Prince found a new sense of direction in his search when he discovered a section of boxes all sharing the same written label: _Celia_.

"Who's….'Celia?'" Junior pondered.

He himself didn't know anyone named Celia so she had to be someone his father knew, and someone important at that if he had been hanging on to her stuff all this time. But who was she? Bowser's mother? His sister? A childhood friend? An ex-girlfriend? Perhaps she was related to Junior himself instead and he just never met her. Maybe she was his cousin, a babysitter, or even a teacher or pediatrician. Whoever she was, Junior was determined to learn more about her now. After all, it wasn't like he had anything more important to be doing at the moment anyway.

He used his claw to cut through the tape and open the box at the top of the first stack. Like Bowser's belongings, the box was mostly filled with niche trinkets and objects Junior couldn't begin to perceive any value in. There didn't appear to be anything in here that gave any indication of who exactly this Celia person was or why her stuff was here in Bowser's house. Junior quickly abandoned the box and repeated his search in another, then another. His heart practically stopped when he found a photo album at the bottom of one box in particular. The book's front cover, back cover and spine were all protected with a leather material. On the front, something was written in a golden cursive font. The album was titled _Mr. and Mrs. Koopa_.

The cogs began to turn in Junior's brain. He flipped open the album and stared intensely at the contents within. Each page was a laminated collection of grainy, sepia tone photos that appeared to be taken decades ago. Each picture featured a much younger, slimmer Bowser. Some depicted him with stubble growing on his then less-prominent chin, and others with a full-on red goatee. His horns were slightly less sharp than Junior knew them to be now, and Bowser's hair and eyebrows seemed less bushy as well somehow as if they hadn't quite finished growing to full length. Junior almost didn't recognize his father at first because of how genuinely happy Bowser seemed to be in these photos. He was grinning widely from cheek to cheek and his eyes seemed to be full of so much more life. Junior couldn't recall ever seeing Bowser as happy in the 18 years he'd been alive as the Koopa King appeared to be in these pictures. What happened to him to turn Bowser into the perpetual grouch Junior recalled growing up with?

After a few pages, the photo album shifted from pictures of only Bowser to an unfamiliar, red-haired woman instead. Junior gathered that this woman was Celia, though her relation to Bowser wasn't yet clear. She was a beautiful young woman with just as much life in her emerald eyes as Bowser. Judging from her attire in the pictures, Celia was royalty of some kind as she was constantly dawning lavish gowns and a crown atop her head. Towards the end of the album, Junior found the section he needed to answer his lingering questions. He stumbled upon a photo of Bowser and Celia standing closely together. They were each dressed in some kind of battle armor. But more importantly, the photo had been taken outside in front of a lone cottage near the ocean. Junior's eyes lit up.

This photo of Bowser and Celia was taken in front of the getaway home!

He had a theory now, but he still needed more evidence to confirm it. Frantically flipping through the next set of pages, Junior saw nothing but pictures of Bowser and Celia together in more romantic settings; one of which looked as though the two were getting married as Bowser was wearing a tight-fitting tuxedo and Celia a long, white bridal gown. On the second-to-last page, the Koopa Prince found a photo of Bowser hunched over Celia, who was resting in a bed. She looked exhausted, yet still content. In her arms, Celia was cradling a tiny, sleeping infant Koopa wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Celia…is my mom..."

Talking to himself was the only way he could think to process this discovery. He definitely recognized Celia now, but the more he stared at her pictures, the emptier Junior felt. He face fell. He should've been happy that he had just remembered the face of his mother after all this time. But he wasn't. The Koopa Prince's eyes began to water as he realized that he couldn't remember anything more about her. After all, she had passed away when he was only three years old.

Any time before that was impossible for Junior to remember since his mind hadn't fully developed yet back then. She had been absent for the majority of his life. Junior wracked his brain as he desperately tried to pull out any long-forgotten memories that might be tucked away in the corners of his mind. But nothing came. The only memory that did return was one he wasn't proud of now in the slightest.

 _Junior recalled a dark and stormy afternoon. Celia had just fallen asleep in her bed as a candle burned on the nightstand at her side. She was barely caressing a small red rose in her then lifeless fingers. Bowser was glued to her side as tears flowed like bathwater from his eyes. He was weeping and the three-year old Junior didn't understand why. He never fully would. The little Koopa watched as the light and spirit died in his father's eyes. It was as if a large storm cloud materialized over Bowser's head at that moment, and it intended to loom there for the rest of his life._

 _Junior vaguely remembered his first moment alone in his bedroom later that day when he was trapped in his own, broken-hearted solitude. As his own tears rolled down his cheeks, Junior had resolved then that he never wanted to feel this way again. It hurt too much. He never wanted anyone to see him crying like this. He couldn't. These tears were useless. They couldn't bring his mother back. They couldn't wake her up. So what good were they? They only made him look weak._

 ** _Remembering his mother made him weak._**

 _He could never think about her again. He had to replace her with thoughts only of himself and how to get what he wanted out of his life; how to find strength. Junior remembered seeing his father act like such a tyrant; yelling and getting physically violent with others; blowing fire and throwing tantrums. Bowser never cried again. He only scowled and glared and bullied anyone and everyone around him. That was true strength. It had to be. Junior had to be just like that._

Junior was ashamed of remembering this moment. He was ashamed of throwing away what little memory he had of his mother back then. Looking at these pictures now, Junior felt nothing.

But he longed to feel everything.

He wanted to remember everything about her, but it was too late now. It had been too late for a long time. Junior couldn't decide if it was right for him to be angry towards Bowser or not for talking as little about Celia with him as he did. Hell, he had never bothered to tell Junior his mother's real name before this. He had to learn that on his own. It would be easy for Junior to drown himself in even more anger and resentment towards Bowser. Between pushing him with all of the king training, neglecting him for ten years to serve on the Kingdom Council, and now all these years of serving as a bad emotional role model, Junior had more than enough reason to confront Bowser and give him a piece of his mind.

But…he couldn't. Somehow that just seemed impossible now. Junior wouldn't have the energy to yell at Bowser if he had the chance to do so right this moment. He was too sore, too hungry, too cold, and too tired. On top of all that, this memory was too painful. Even after all these years, it hurt Junior too much to think about his late mother. He never learned how to accept her death; how to find reasons to smile in each new day without his mother around; how to remember her name or her face without drowning in immense sadness or tears.

Right now Junior just wanted to _talk_ to Bowser more than anything; like a civilized adult. Junior wanted to ask him questions. How much did _he_ remember about Celia? How much could he help Junior remember? Why did Bowser treat Celia as such an unspeakable taboo for all of these years? Could all of that change now that Junior was an adult? Junior himself was more than willing to try. If nothing else, his mother could be a way for Junior and Bowser to get back on speaking terms again without having to address the elephant in the room of the failed exam.

Glancing out the window, the Koopa Prince caught a glimpse of the sun beginning to set. Nightfall was coming soon. The unforgiving cold was upon him. Junior couldn't sleep here another night. That much was clear to him now. That was the only thing in his troubled mess of a mind that he understood. Junior retrieved his paint brush and returned to the main room of the getaway home. He examined the wall, then began to paint a large circle. The drawing came to life in a glorious light. The Koopa Prince stared through the portal to Bowser's castle his artwork had created.

Junior wasn't ready to come home yet. But he knew he had to. There was too much troubling him right now. Drowning himself in all of these foreign memories of his parents as he froze and starved to death was pointless. Junior longed for a warm bath, a tasty meal and a hug right now. Maybe those things alone would make all of his suffering just a bit more bearable. It was worth a try. Junior gripped his paintbrush tightly. Mustering the last ounce of strength he had left, he hopped through the portal before it disappeared behind him.


	10. Terror From Above

"I assume you dealt with our little plumber problem?" Contemno asked casually.

"Yes, soir!" Topper boasted proudly with the other Broodals at his side. "Dat Mario chump won't be boderin' _us_ anytime soon!"

"Well done. You have all proven yourselves very useful to me thus far," Contemno praised. The mage stood up from his throne and casually approached them. Just as he was about to pass his henchmen, Contemno stopped. "However, I trust you understand that the real challenge still lies ahead, yes?"

"…'Real challenge?'" Harriet repeated.

"Certainly. The treasure I seek now lies in waiting, unguarded. The time to claim my prize is upon us."

"Ya mean…?" Spewart started.

"Yes. It is time I take back what is rightfully mine. Those still foolish enough to stand in my way shall perish at last. I will make certain of that myself. Now, I must be on my way." The mage began walking again as he made his way for the exit.

"Does dat mean ya need us to come wid ya? Y'know, for back-up?" Topper asked.

"Hardly. You would only get caught in the crossfire. I can't allow that," Contemno replied. "You're still valuable assets to me, and I only intend to rely on you more in the future." Contemno stopped in his tracks again. The Broodals watched his body twitch suddenly.

"Boss?" asked Rango.

"Well now….this is interesting," Contemno began. The Broodals waited for their superior to elaborate. "It seems our dear King Bowser appears to be on the move. I do wonder what he might be up to."

"Bowsa? Hey…isn't dat da guy who hired us for his weddin wid dat broad?" Spewart recalled. The other Broodals nodded.

"Do we need ta be concoined about him, boss?" Topper asked.

"'Concerned' is an unsuitable term," Contemno answered. "In his old age, that cranky, loud-mouthed buffoon is less of a threat to us than Mario. However, should his arm be bent in the 'correct' way, Bowser will easily submit to my demands. There's no doubt about that. Seeing as how his castle is currently being left unguarded, my interest is piqued. I grow tired of living in a cave. The castle of the once 'Great and Terrible Bowser' would make for a much more suitable base of operations anyway. I think I will pay the Koopa Kingdom a visit very soon as well. I gather you are all eager for your next assignment?"

"Sure are, boss!" Rango affirmed.

"In that case, seek out Bowser. Detain him and bring him to me at once. I will gladly put that old fossil out of his misery myself once he submits to my demands."

"You got it, soir!" Topper agreed. Without another word, the Broodals hastily departed as a group to carry out their orders. Contemno clutched his gloved fist as a sinister purple aura engulfed it.

The time he'd been waiting years for had come at last.

* * *

Bowser and Rosalina exchanged very few words as they made their way towards Shooting Star Summit. Neither one of them seemed to be willing to address the silence either. This was most likely due to their still somewhat awkward history and lack of any real established one-on-one relationship with one another. Even though Bowser hadn't committed any bad deeds in quite some time, Rosalina still couldn't help viewing him as a tyrant waiting to turn on her at the drop of the hat. To that extent, she kept her trust in him at an absolute minimum.

In spite of this, part of her was beginning to feel that denying Bowser any ounce of trust was unfair. Bowser had made it very clear today that he was willing to sacrifice just about anything for this mission. She needed him as an escort. Companionship was essential now more than ever. Mario's hat arriving before the council the way it did was an indication that it was dangerous and unwise to travel anywhere alone. The least she could do was make more of an effort to become better acquainted with Bowser. A conversation might also help pass the time. To her surprise however, it was Bowser who initiated one first.

"So Rosie, what's your angle?" Bowser asked suddenly.

"Pardon?" Rosalina replied, confused.

"Why'd you stand up for me back there after the whole package thing?" Rosalina quietly resolved to choose her words carefully, as she often did.

"I was only examining the facts," the space princess explained. "The evidence presented to us back there did not suggest that you were the culprit responsible for delivering the package."

"Well, duhh," Bowser replied. "But why didn't you just write me off like everyone else did? It would've been easy. It's not like you owed me any favors or anything."

"Please try not to misunderstand my intentions, Bowser. I only defended you in order to correct an error of judgement among our colleagues. Right now we're on the brink of a great disaster. We cannot afford to make careless mistakes and unfounded accusations." Bowser raised an eyebrow at her.

"You mind putting that in English, sweetheart?" Bowser requested sarcastically. Rosalina sighed.

"All I really care about right now is getting to the source of this danger before it brings anyone else harm. Your proposal for direct and immediate action and getting to the bottom of this mystery just so happened to align with my own desires. So, I took the action I felt was necessary in order to see your request get approved. It wasn't because I felt personally compelled to do so, if that's what you're implying." She blushed slightly when she saw Bowser staring at her smugly.

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Rosie," the Koopa King flirted.

"I must insist that you refrain from calling me that," said Rosalina.

"What, I haven't earned the right to call you 'Rosie?'"

"I-it's not about privilege. It's just-"

"Just that you still don't trust me. You don't see me as anything more than just a monster like everybody else," Bowser finished for her. Rosalina wasn't sure how to reply to that.

"Bowser…that's not-,"

"It's fine. I never expected us to be all buddy-buddy right away. I caused you headaches too just like I always did for Mario and Peach," Bowser elaborated. His tone didn't seem to imply that he was hurt or upset by such a belief. Rather, he seemed almost content with it.

"That may be true," Rosalina started. "But I do not stand for injustice towards anyone. If the council had punished you, much less denied your proposal, I would certainly have still come to your defense. It would not have been right for you to be charged with a crime you honestly did not commit." Bowser stopped and observed her once again. The space princess was confused by the expression on his face and the mixed signals it was broadcasting.

"Man…you suck at flirting. You could learn a thing or two from Peach," Bowser taunted. "Drop the bookworm lingo. If you care about me even just a little bit, just come out and say it." Rosalina's entire face went red. She could not deny that she felt completely caught off-guard by the mixed signals Bowser was sending her. One moment he seemed to be craving slightly more intimacy with her, then the next he was outright rejecting any shred of advances. But now he was jumping right back into wanting intimacy again. Just what was Bowser trying to accomplish here?

Suddenly, Rosalina felt Bowser place his hand across her chest. But before she could cry out at him in anger for invading her personal space, she noticed the determined, suspicious glare in his eyes as he stared straight up into the sky.

"Hold on…," said Bowser.

"What's the matter?" Rosalina asked.

"Something's coming this way. Up there!" Rosalina followed his directions. The two saw an aircraft of some kind flying down towards them. It was a flying ship powered by propellers. The architecture of it closely resembled something Bowser would've flown in the old days. Bowser gritted his teeth when he picked up on the awful sound of a familiar, mischievous muffled carny-like tune being broadcasted from speakers aboard the ship.

"Well, well, well…," a nasally voice chirped from the ship's deck. "If it ain't da 'great 'n terrible King Bowsa!'" Riding atop the ship were the Broodals. Malevolent looks were plastered across each of their faces. "Fancy meetin' _you_ here!"

"Topper?" Bowser responded.

"You know them? Are they friends of your's?" Rosalina inserted as she folded her arms.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't exactly call us friends. Not anymore," Bowser answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Just bidness as usual," the lead Broodal responded.

"What are you talking about?"

"Our new boss is about ta make history. But foist, he wants us ta put _yous_ outta commission!" Rosalina stood close to Bowser and gripped her wand in preparation for an attack.

"And who exactly is employing you?" Rosalina inserted.

"Wouldn't _yous_ like ta know! He's a betta employa den you coulda eva hoped ta be, ya big palooka!"

"If he's so great, why doesn't he come face me himself then!?" Bowser roared.

"Oh puh-lease!" Harriet replied. "Da boss is waaay too busy ta soil his hands wid garbage like yous and Mario! Dat's what we're here for!" Bowser and Rosalina each froze at that statement.

"Wait... _you're_ the ones who attacked Mario!?" Rosalina asked. "What did you do with him!?"

"Why don't ya ask him yaselves when ya join him!?" Spewart suggested smugly. Suddenly, the large Broodal belched and upchucked a large glob of his signature purple substance down below. Bowser shoved Rosalina out of the way and embraced the onslaught head-on. He pulled and struggled, but couldn't break free from the goo. Bowser was completely stuck in place. Rosalina raced back towards him but stopped.

"Go! Get outta here!" Bowser ordered.

"What?" Rosalina replied.

"You heard me! Go! Get back to your space castle or whatever it is! I'll take care of these goons!"

"Are you insane!? You can't possibly defeat all of them by yourself in this condition!" Spewart shot another glob of purple goo at Rosalina. Once again, Bowser shoved her out of the way in time. But he was immediately pulled back into the original puddle he was trapped in.

"Well you won't be much help to me if you get caught in this stuff too!" the Koopa King argued. Topper removed his green top hat and clutched it in his hand. In a flash, a stack of identical hats materialized on top of it. Topper tossed the barrage of hats toward Bowser. Forced to stand his ground, the latter waited for them to draw closer. Once the hats were practically on top of him, Bowser consecutively punched and swatted each one away. It was all he could do.

"I won't leave you behind, Bowser!" Rosalina insisted. Waving her magic wand, the space princess summoned a handful of Lumas out of thin air. Not letting up on the assault for an instance, Harriet twirled her ponytails and launched a pair of bombs down at the earth below. Rosalina instructed the Lumas to pull Bowser out of the goo.

She then stepped in front of them and prepared herself for the bombs rocketing towards them. Waving her wand wildly, Rosalina summoned a blue, ring-like projection of light around herself. When the bombs reached the ring, they instantly raced around its path. After one lap, the bombs launched back up in the air towards the Broodals' ship. Bowser recognized this reversal technique as a variation of her Gravitational Pull move from her offensive repertoire in the Smash Bros tournaments. Panicking, Rango tossed his own razor blade hat and caused the bombs to explode in mid-air before they could reach the ship.

Even with their combined efforts, the Lumas couldn't pull Bowser out of the sludge. Bowser tugged with all of his strength but simply couldn't get loose. Topper repeated his earlier trick and pitched another series of green hats at the pair. Rosalina resolved to swap roles. Pointing her wand up at the hats, she instructed the Lumas to challenge them head-on. This would buy her a few extra seconds of time to try and help Bowser escape. The Lumas collided with each of the hats. The clashes all ended in a stalemate as the Lumas and hats both dissipated. However, just before the hats disappeared, a series of bombs that had been nestled inside each one emerged and rained down above Bowser and Rosalina. They exploded in a circle around the outer edges of the puddle and ignited a ring of fire all around. Now it was impossible for Rosalina to escape as well.

"Harriet, light 'em up!" Topper exclaimed. The female Broodal repeated her technique and catapulted another pair of bombs down below. The sludge that had been gripping onto Bowser's arms and shell finally broke. At last, the Koopa King had control over his upper body.

Too little, too late.

Bowser twisted his body and smothered Rosalina under his chest. The two of them shut their eyes frightfully as hell rained down and the flames engulfed them from all around.

* * *

Larry was at it again. He strolled slowly and aimlessly around Junior's empty bedroom. The Koopaling stared out the window at the setting sun one last time, then took a seat on the side of the bed behind him. He sighed. Larry was terribly worried about Junior. But he had arguably less reason to be than the others.

Larry knew from past incidents that Junior had a habit of using his magic paintbrush to summon portals and run away from his problems when the prince desperately wanted to be alone. But no matter where Junior went or how long he was gone when he sunk into one of these moods, he always came back eventually. Even though it had been just over a day since Junior had departed after failing his exam, he was still in terrible condition when he left; physically and mentally. Larry understood how ashamed Junior was likely feeling and why he would refuse to face anyone right now after the fact. But still, Junior needed support from his loved ones right now whether he liked it or not.

Larry was more than willing to offer Junior that support, just as he always did in the past. Any time Junior needed a shoulder to cry on, a playmate to pretend with, a trustworthy confidant to entrust with secrets, an entertainer to liven up a dull moment, or a warm, nurturing body to curl up next to during a thunderstorm, Larry had always been there for him. Junior turned to Larry when he couldn't do so with anyone else; even his own father. Larry had essentially helped the little Koopa shoulder the burden of not having a mother, and he helped him grow emotionally. The blue-haired Koopaling took immense satisfaction in this role as a best friend and caretaker. The two of them were close enough that deep down, Larry desperately wished they were blood brothers. It would've given him the sense of purpose and belonging that he'd longed for his entire life; the kind of family love and belonging he simply never got from his sibling Koopalings. Larry had never found a reason to tell anyone any of this, however.

The history of Larry's relationship with Junior hardly mattered now though. Larry couldn't do a thing to help until Junior came back to the castle on his own first. But there was no telling how long that would take this time around. Junior was hurting physically and his pride had been fatally wounded. Would the Koopa Prince be able to muster the strength and the nerve to come back through one of his magical portals once again?

Larry hated feeling so useless. But being here in Junior's room helped calm his nerves to an extent. The Koopaling was as worried as a mother would be for her missing child. But surrounding himself in the clutter of Junior's belongings and his distinct scent somehow helped Larry feel physically closer to Junior, even if he actually wasn't.

The other Koopalings always made judgmental comments to Larry in the past about how much time he spent in Junior's room when Junior wasn't around. They found it to be creepy and extremely overprotective. They weren't related, so Larry was not obligated to look after Junior by any means unless Bowser explicitly ordered him to babysit, which had happened on more than a handful of occasions. But still. Being Junior's primary caretaker was ultimately Bowser's job, not his. The Koopalings only needed to concern themselves with carrying out the orders of their superior. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, Junior was notorious in the castle for being little more than a bratty troublemaker. Ludwig led the opinion that Junior was incapable of expressing sympathy, manners, or any other necessary social traits for proper adolescent development. He never learned them. So, he didn't deserve to receive respect from anyone in return.

But none of this mattered to Larry in the slightest. He enjoyed the fact that Junior was so different. The prince's brattiness – as obnoxious as it was at times, admittedly – still meant that there was never a dull moment. In Larry's eyes, his actual siblings barely made much of an effort at all to get to know Junior. So what right did they have to judge or dismiss him so carelessly? Junior wasn't all bad. He may have been the son of the Great and Terrible Bowser Koopa, but he also had traits inherited from his mother as well; traits of affection and tenderness. Maybe it was just hard for him to open up and express these feelings because Bowser never taught him how. Or maybe Junior just hadn't found people worthy of seeing the different sides of him; other than Larry, of course. Regardless of the reason, Larry was willing to aid and defend Junior until the very end. They were more than friends, they were spiritual brothers; separated from blood relation by the cruel hands of fate. And right now, Larry desperately wanted his little brother to come home.

As if on cue to answer his prayer, a portal of swirling rainbow-colored light materialized in thin air in front of Larry. Out of its depths tumbled Junior, who spilled out onto the floor below. Larry leaped up from the bed and rushed over to his side. Junior sat up and the pairs' eyes met. The Koopa Prince frowned.

"Welcome home," Larry greeted warmly. The Koopaling helped Junior up to his feet and walked him over to his bed where Junior instantly sprawled out on his back.

"I don't wanna talk, Larry…," Junior replied bitterly.

"I didn't ask you to," Larry shot back. He was used to engaging in witty verbal sparring matches with Junior and was relishing in the moment of being able to do so once again. "How are you feeling?"

"What do _you_ think?"

"We don't have to talk right now. Not until you feel ready to. But you're looking pretty banged up there. You want me to get the castle doctor?"

"No, it's just a couple of scrapes and bruises," Junior answered. "Just get me the first-aid kit." Larry nodded at the request and made his way for the door before stopping and looking back.

"Hungry?" Larry inquired casually. Junior placed his hand to his belly and sighed.

"Starving…," he replied. Larry smiled.

"I'll see what I can fix up for ya. Just stay put, okay?" Junior laid out flat on his bed and raised his arm straight up in the air with a thumbs-up signal. Shaking his head, Larry chuckled and exited the bedroom.

About ten minutes later, he returned with a tray holding a small first-aid kit and two bowels of jerky and dried shroom soup – one of Junior's favorite dishes. Larry handed one to Junior, but the latter rejected it; insisting he tend to his wounds before eating. Larry watched him in subtle, silent awe. It took him a moment to remember when Junior had gotten so responsible; when he learned such a skill; or when he had decided that this soup would be his dish of choice on the worst of days. It was that journey; the one Bowser had taken with his son all those years ago. That experience must've changed Junior for the better. Larry secretly longed to have been there to witness that journey.

"Can I ask you something?" Larry inquired when Junior finished treating his injuries and picked up the single remaining soup bowl off the tray.

"Depends what it is," Junior answered as he blew on a spoonful of the soup before sipping it.

"That paintbrush. It lets you physically travel to other places, right?" Junior nodded silently.

"When you vanish like that…," Larry paused as if to backtrack and contemplate whether or not he should finish his question. "…where do you go?" Junior paused as well before answering.

"Wherever I want. Just as long as it's…not here," the Koopa Prince answered. Larry continued to select his words carefully in his mind.

"Well… no matter where you go, you always come back sooner or later. No matter how alone you might feel here, you've always got me. You know that, right? Is that why you come back?"

"I guess…but that wasn't the reason this time." Larry's eyebrows rose.

"Then…what was?"

"My dad. There's something I need to ask him," Junior elaborated. "Where is he?"

"Gone," Larry answered. "He needed to meet with the council again."

"I thought he wasn't leaving until tomorrow."

"He wasn't. But I guess something came up and he wanted to see them sooner. The guy was in a pretty big hurry to get out of here."

"You think it had something to do with me?"

"I don't know," Larry confessed.

"Well…when do you think he'll be back?" Junior inquired. Larry shrugged.

"Who knows? He packed a suitcase so I guess it'll be a little while." Junior's spirits fell slightly. He wasn't sure why his father would even pack a suitcase. He rarely wore clothes. The only times he did was for council meetings. Regardless, Junior knew his interrogation would have to wait until Bowser returned. Despite it reminding him of his embarrassing exam failure, the castle was the best place for him to remain for the time being since here he could eat, sleep in his warm bed and surround himself with company; when he felt ready for that anyway.

The Koopa Prince polished off the last of his soup in silence. Larry was dying to talk to Junior more about what happened during the exam but resolved not to out of simultaneously wishing to honor Junior's wishes for space at the moment. The Koopa Prince yawned.

"You sound tired," Larry commented. "Better get some rest."

"I should take a bath first," said Junior. Larry shrugged.

"Eh, who cares what you smell like right now? Your dad's not here to lecture you about it. I say just skip it and go right to bed." Junior pondered the suggestion for a moment and decided to take it as he climbed underneath the covers. Larry picked up the lone empty soup bowl, made his way towards the door, and turned off the light.

"Night, Larry," Junior called out. The Koopaling smiled.

"Good night, squirt. I'm glad you're back."


	11. Attack on Peach's Castle

Princess Peach sat restlessly on her castle balcony. She hated feeling so useless. Mario was in danger somewhere and here she was relying on _Bowser_ of all people to make everything right for her. Had all of her council work and training been for nothing? Was Peach really still so useless after all? What was she supposed to do if this dangerous threat were to show up out of nowhere on her doorstep? Peach couldn't protect her kingdom from it any more than her Toad servants could protect her from getting kidnapped. The princess of all people was never one to lose hope so easily. It wasn't like her to be thinking in such pessimistic absolutes like this. But somehow Peach had convinced herself otherwise. It always seemed so easy to remain hopeful knowing that Mario would come to save the day as he always did.

Mario…

Peach physically winced just muttering his name to herself. If the Mushroom Kingdom's greatest defender was unable to stand up to the impending danger, then surely all hope was truly lost. How would the Mushroom Kingdom get by without Mario? Adding insult to injury, Peach was also grappling with the fact that she had failed Mario as his wife. How could she allow him to run straight into his doom so easily? It hardly mattered now. She didn't care if she was right or wrong in their argument. She didn't care about what she should've done differently in that moment. She didn't even care what it would take from her to make things right between them now. Peach just wanted her husband back; to hold and cherish and never let go of again.

"How are you holding up?" Pauline asked as she approached the balcony from inside and joined Peach. The princess sighed and shook her head.

"Pauline, you're in a position of power too. Tell me, does this feeling of…being completely useless ever really go away?" Peach asked somberly. Pauline looked away for a moment and bit her lip.

"Not entirely," Pauline replied. "But you find little ways here and there of keeping it at bay."

"I see, and what do you do when your only means of keeping the feeling away is gone as well? What then?" Pauline didn't hesitate out of confusion towards the question. She knew exactly what Peach was getting at. She hesitated because she didn't have an answer she herself deemed suitable to give at the moment.

"That's…hard to say. You just…have to find a new way yourself; make a solution out of nothing if you have to with your own two hands," Pauline explained. Her advice conveyed only a shred of confidence behind the words. Yet, that shred somehow proved to be just enough to keep Peach's nerves tempered ever so slightly in the moment.

"Is that what you had to do to rebuild New Donk City after the whole Donkey Kong incident?" Peach inquired. Pauline fidgeted with her fingers slightly before answering.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Unlike you, I didn't have Mario around anymore to fix all my problems for me. I had to get things done myself. It wasn't always easy; not by a long shot. But I didn't have any other choice. I became mayor through hard work and the determination I made out of nothing but my own desire just to not feel so bad anymore."

"I've always admired you for that, Pauline. You're so strong. I always wondered why you and Mario never stayed together when you were dating. What went wrong?" Pauline blushed at Peach's praise.

"It was me, actually. _I_ was what was wrong with us," said Pauline. Peach raised an eyebrow.

"…You? But…how can that be?" Pauline took a seat on the bench next to Peach and exhaled as she prepared to weave her tale.

"Well, I felt useless growing up in a family with so many strong, independent siblings," Pauline began. "So, I moved to the city way back in the day because I wanted to be more independent. Everyone back home swore I would quit and come home before too long; citing that city life would 'chew me up and spit me out with nothing but the clothes on my back.' But for a while, it seemed like it was working. I was getting by just fine working a 9-5 job wading tables at the local diner. It wasn't a glamorous life, but it was a life I was still proud to call my own."

"What happened then?" Peach asked; deeply enthralled in Pauline's story.

"When I fell in love with a certain dreamy carpenter who later became known locally by the alias of Jumpman, all of that drive vanished for a while. Mario swept me off my feet and wanted to do everything for me. I guess that was his strategy to win my heart; being the breadwinner without question. It worked for a while. But I knew Mario and I were wrong for each other the moment I found myself stranded atop the city's tallest girder next to a big, smelly rampaging ape."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for getting kidnapped, Pauline," Peach interjected. "That wasn't your fault and trying to escape on your own was probably too dangerous. Staying put and waiting for Mario to rescue you was your best option, don't you think?"

"Sure, and that's probably why I ultimately stood by helplessly that day," the mayor agreed with a nod. "But after all was said and done, I knew I wanted out. Breaking up with Mario was heart-wrenching. I didn't take any pleasure in watching him slump away feeling so dejected that he moved out of the city a week later. But I just wasn't ready to completely throw away my independence and rely entirely on a man for the rest of my life. At least, not yet."

"You don't think dumping Mario in spite of him going so far for you just because you wanted your independence was wrong? You don't think it was even the least bit selfish?" Pauline chuckled, which surprised Peach - the one who was taking this story with the utmost seriousness.

"Oh, it was certainly selfish. I can't deny that. I regretted it for a while. But I couldn't stay with Mario and lead him on with hopes that I would change. I wanted more out of my life. I wanted things that Mario couldn't give me no matter how hard he tried. He deserved to find someone else who was a better match than me. I'm happy he found you." Peach smiled and blushed at such praise. "As for me, I found ways to cope and move on. I threw myself into the world of politics and the rest is history. I wanted to work my way to the top by ensuring the girder incident with Donkey Kong would never happen again," Pauline described. "That was the entire basis of my campaign. But even as the mayor of New Donk City today and in spite of all I've accomplished since the old days, I still feel useless every now and then. Heck, I had to rely on Mario to save my city after the whole Mecha Wiggler incident a while back. You have no idea how hard it was for me to sit by and watch Mario come to the rescue yet again all those years later. It felt like everything I'd done since I left him had been for nothing."

"I…never knew about any of this, Pauline," Peach commented. "Hearing your story now, it only makes me respect you more. I wish I were half as strong-willed as you." Pauline placed her hand on Peach's shoulder.

"Peach, you don't have to be like me to be strong. You have your own life; your own problems to deal with. So you have to determine what's best for _you_. Just because things didn't work out between Mario and me in the past, doesn't mean they can't for you and him now."

"But Mario is-"

"Still out there somewhere. Don't you try for even a second to tell me otherwise," Pauline argued sternly. The princess was a bit startled by her friend's sudden mood shift into one of aggressive assertion. "You have to believe you'll find him and that you two will be just fine."

"But believing in him to fix everything for me is what makes me feel so useless in the first place."

"So do more than believe in him then," Pauline suggested. "Believe in yourself for a change. Go out there and find him yourself." Peach smiled.

"But Bowser said to-"

"Since when do you listen to _Bowser_? No offense to the guy, but sometimes I don't think Bowser knows the difference between his tooth and his toe-nail. Take care of business yourself. Or at the very least, go out there and give him a hand! Do it for you and Mario instead of waiting at home like Bowser's obedient pet!"

"…You're right. Maybe I just need to-"

The princess was cut off mid-sentence by a violent tremoring of the floor beneath her. The entire castle was erupting in disorienting vibration as a roaring sound of destruction and collapse echoed in the hallway outside Peach's bedroom. Peach and Pauline stood up at once and sprinted back into the castle to investigate. The two rushed down the hall towards the stair case as the castle continued to tremor. Their fear that the roof was moments away from caving in above them only motivated them to sprint faster.

The floor directly under Peach's heels shook, causing the princess to lose her balance. Pauline was too slow to aid Peach as the latter stumbled into the railing in front of her. The structure that had been propping the floor up underneath her suddenly gave in. Peach froze with terror as she fell to the bottom floor below. Her fall was cut short however as a hand grabbed hold of Peach's wrist. She looked up.

"L-Luigi!" Peach exclaimed.

"Hang on, princess! I've got you!" Luigi assured with a grunt. Pauline and another figure whom Peach could not yet identify during this cataclysm aided Luigi and managed to pull Peach up over the ledge a moment later. At the top, the princess discovered that Yoshi was with him.

"Thank you, Luigi. You have my gratitude," said Peach.

"Don't mention it," Luigi replied. "I'm just glad I wasn't too late!" The entire castle shook once more and pieces of rubble tumbling down all around could be heard within earshot.

"Can we have this conversation somewhere where our lives _aren't_ in immediate danger!?" Pauline interjected. Peach and Luigi both nodded. Together, the four descended what remained of the stairs. Peach escorted them to the entrance of the royal kitchen nearby. It was well-renowned for being one of the more structurally sound rooms in the castle, so Peach assumed it would grant them a temporary shelter while they processed what was happening and gathered their bearings.

"Luigi, what are you and Yoshi doing here?" Peach asked the moment they were safe.

"We heard about what happened to Mario and ran over here as soon as we could. I figured you might be in danger with my brother missing. Guess I wasn't far off from the truth," Luigi gathered.

"Well, we sent Bowser to investigate and-" Peach started.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. You sent _Bowser_ to look into this!?" Luigi interrupted.

"Well…yes. He was more than willing to do it. He's not the same Bowser we used to know, after all. I had to choose to put my trust in him." Luigi kicked at the floor.

"So…you trust Bowser more than me or Yoshi now?" Luigi asked. Peach placed her hand to her heart.

"Luigi…it's not like that. I didn't even know if you were with Mario or not when this happened. For all I knew, you could've been missing too."

"Hmph, didn't know I was around? That sounds about right. You wouldn't be the first to think that way…," the plumber commented bitterly. The room erupted in another violent quake.

"Something tells me this room isn't going to hold up for much longer!" Pauline inserted. "We need to get out of the castle and find out what's going on!" Luigi and Peach silently agreed to postpone the rest of their conversation as the group barged through the kitchen doors and raced towards the exit. They refused to slow down even slightly until they reached the glint of sunlight and salvation just ahead. Embracing it full sprint, the four trampled and stumbled over one another once they had crossed the threshold of the collapsing castle and reached the open air. Peach opened her deep blue eyes. Her's were the first to meet the perpetrator behind the assault on her castle.

"Contemno!"" the princess exclaimed. Pauline, Luigi and Yoshi all glanced up together and spotted the short, cloaked mage approaching them from across the castle courtyard. He had not appeared to have aged a day since they last encountered him all those years ago.

"Ah, Princess Toadstool. I see I have your attention at last," Contemno commented smugly. Instinctively, Luigi and Yoshi rushed out in front of Peach to guard her as Contemno strolled towards them ominously.

"What are you doing here?" Peach interrogated.

"You failed to heed my warning."

"Warning?" Contemno chuckled half-heartedly.

"Come now. Even a ditzy damsel like yourself couldn't have possibly forgotten so easily what I once told you before." Peach's mind lit up as she recalled the moment Contemno was referring to.

 _If you truly love your kingdom, then do what is best for it. Ensure that this beast will never harm you or anyone else ever again._

"You don't mean…"

"I do." Contemno began to slowly pace around the group. "I've been watching you all this time, you know. I've seen what you've done in the time we've been apart. I urged you to kill Bowser. But instead, you simply turned him into your slave."

"That's not true!" Peach objected. "Bowser has always had good inside of him! I knew it. I felt it in my heart. He didn't deserve to die, and I could never take his life. Bowser deserved a second chance, and that's exactly what I gave him."

"But in doing so, it seems you became the very thing you wished to change about him," Contemno replied.

"…What?"

"Bowser is a tyrannical demon. He lives to torture people and make them suffer unless they serve him. He strips entire kingdoms of their dignity. You imprisoned him in your own castle for quite some time. You brainwashed him; made him forget everything he thought to be true." Contemno stopped pacing for a moment. "In the end, _you_ became the tyrannical demon and made him _your_ captive for a change." The princess gritted her teeth.

"You don't know anything about Bowser!" Peach exclaimed. "You have no right to lecture me about cruelty when it was _you_ who nearly choked him to death years ago!" Contemno chortled at this.

"Ohhh my poor, deluded princess. My actions come from a realm of justice; of vengeance. As I've already discussed with you, Bowser stole my kingdom from me. Taking his life would mean reclaiming the life I once called my own and ridding my friends and family of the suffering he has brought them. I gave you a chance to do the same thing because I recognized the many ways he has troubled you."

"Bowser's fate was never _your's_ to decide, Contemno," Peach contested. "…Nor was it mine," she confessed reluctantly.

"But you forced him to become docile despite knowing full well that he would resist."

"Well, what other choice did I have!? I couldn't take his life, but I had to do _something_ to stop him! Pacifying him was my only other alternative."

"There is no place in this world for those who foolishly gift mercy to the wicked because when left unchecked, they become corrupted themselves. In essence, such misguided souls are just as in need of extermination as those they seek to help," Contemno replied bitterly. Luigi, Yoshi and Pauline stood silently beside Peach in absolute shock. Pauline especially hadn't the slightest clue what was going on or what this mysterious terrorist was talking about. Despite being smothered by fear, Luigi mustered up his courage and stepped up to the princess's immediate side; ready to take action at a moment's notice. Yoshi followed Luigi's example and noticed Contemno twisting his wrists. He was preparing to do something. Peach bit her lower lip. She could feel a bead of sweat run down the side of her face.

"History and fate are decided only by those who act in absolute," Contemno continued. "I see now that you are not one of such people. The world has little use for your kind…" A purple chain materialized around Contemno's glove. The mage swiftly waved his arm. The chain lunged directly towards Peach. Instinctively, Luigi shoved the princess aside and embraced the incoming attack. The chain wrapped itself around Luigi's waist and electrocuted him with ominous purple shocks. The plumber crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Contemno flicked his wrist, causing the chain to break off and become finite in length. The remainder of it wrapped around the motionless Luigi; cementing him as its captive.

Yoshi lashed his tongue out towards Contemno, but Contemno gripped it firmly when it was mere inches away from his face. Squeezing it aggressively, the mage shot a painful pulse of purple lightning across the tongue and back towards its host. The horribly crisped Yoshi fainted near Peach's feet.

Pauline was ready to spring into action herself, but Contemno had a trick up his sleeve for her as well. The masked assassin tossed a disc-like purple projectile in the mayor's direction. Just as it reached her, it expanded and Pauline was encased in a purple bubble before she could react. Punching and kicking at the barrier proved to be a fruitless means of escape.

Alone, Peach stood her ground as Contemno strolled towards her like a cat cornering a mouse. Clenching her gloved fists and gritting her teeth, the princess swallowed her fear as she stared down her predator. She had to be brave; now more than ever. There was no one else who could come to her rescue. Pauline's words echoed in her mind:

 _Peach, you don't have to be like me to be strong. You have your own life; your own problems to deal with. So you have to determine what's best for **you**._

Peach knew well in the heart pounding furiously in her chest that as the ruler of this kingdom, it was up to her to settle this conflict here and now. Peach took several paces towards Contemno as she glared into the empty, soulless eye sockets of his mask. He was admittedly taken aback slightly at Peach's boldness, but it didn't change what had to be done next. The princess and the mage stopped once they neared one another. For a moment, they stood still and waited for the other to make a move.

Contemno elected to begin as he swung an enchanted purple chain from his glove. Just as the chain was about to whip her across the face, Peach dismissively waved her arm diagonally across its path as if to deflect it. A sharp ringing sound echoed through the air. Contemno barely managed to catch a glimpse of what had just happened. At the moment his chain should have made contact, Peach's gloved hand glowed and something materialized in her fingers: a tennis racket.

 _So you are gifted in the enchanted arts as well, I see…_

Contemno swung his chain once more. It clashed with Peach's racket and the two began to tango. Peach and Contemno exchanged blow after blow. The latter quickly resolved to change up his strategy soon after. With his free hand, Contemno pitched a malicious purple fireball. Peach spotted the incoming flame in the corner of her eye but was too busy defending against the chain to do anything about it. The projectile hit its mark and the edge of her dress was set ablaze. Startled but still ultimately unfazed, Peach tore the burning fabric off and tossed it aside. Her ankles were now exposed. The princess smirked slightly. She could move a bit more easily now. She had to be as agile as possible if she was to have any hope of winning this fight.

In one particularly aggressive swing of his chain, Contemno whipped Peach's wrist; sending the tennis racket flying out of her hand. The mage retracted his weapon, lunged forward and swung it again. Peach dove out of its path and rolled in the grass a few feet to gain some distance. She quickly climbed to her feet once more, but Contemno refused to give her a moment to retaliate. His chain was relentless as it lunged at her again and again. Peach accumulated a few scrapes on her arms and legs as the metallic serpent grazed her every now and then while she moved. But she had at least managed to avoid taking any direct, critical hits.

One second of concentration was all Peach needed to realize that she had a window of opportunity. It always took Contemno a moment to retract his chain before he could attack again. Peach knew that _that_ was the moment in which she had to strike. It was a small window to be sure, and it was incredibly risky to get so close to her opponent when she didn't know the full extent of Contemno's powers. Charging straight at him wouldn't pay off unless she managed to land a decisive blow in the process. She needed to be even faster to accomplish this.

Kicking off her heels, Peach took off barefoot into a sprint directly towards Contemno while he was retracting his whip. Her hand gripped a frying pan the moment it materialized in her palm. She was right on top of him now. He noticed her but couldn't react in time. With all her might, Peach smacked Contemno across the face with her pan; sending the mage tumbling back in the grass a few feet. The princess leaped into action once more. She couldn't stop now; not until she was positive that the mage was defeated. The princess resolved to rain down on him from above and clobber him once more.

Contemno flicked his wrist and pulled the chain towards him to block against Peach's frying pan before it could make contact. A piercing ring screeched through the air as the two metallic forces clashed again and again. They danced like yin and yang in perfect balance; cancelling one another out. Peach's frying pan was powerful, yet slow and lacking in range. So, she was able to block with it and little else. Meanwhile Contemno's whip possessed range and speed, yet it was cursed with a slightly unruly nature that made it difficult to fully control. Landing an accurate, critical hit was proving to be too difficult. It was time to change strategies again.

Contemno retracted his whip yet again. But instead of thrusting it out once more as he had done so many times already, the weapon glowed in a blinding, purple light contained within the mage's hand. A second later, an onyx spiked ball rocketed out from the light and raced towards Peach. The transformation caught her off guard and ricocheted off her frying pan; knocking it clean out of her hand as the princess lost her balance and fell backwards onto the ground. Contemno resolved to capitalize on this new development. The mage catapulted the spiked ball once more. Peach flinched and shut her eyes as her only remaining instinct was to accept her fate. Yet as she braced herself for the impact, a minute passed and nothing happened; the spike ball never came.

Cracking open her eyes and sitting up slightly, Peach surveyed the land around her. Luigi and Yoshi were still lying unconscious nearby. Pauline was still encased in her magic prison, but she seemed to be staring at something in sheer awe. Now fully sitting up, Peach turned around to process what had just happened.

Standing directly in front of her was Toadsworth. He was using his cane to prop himself up with one arm, and extending his other out towards Contemno. What on earth just happened?

"…Toadsworth?" Peach muttered in disbelief. The elderly Toad glanced back at her.

"Fear not, your highness. This menace shall not have his way with you today. Not while I draw breath." Peach _had_ to be dreaming. Since when did Toadsworth _ever_ put himself in harm's way like this?

"Stand aside, you miserable old fossil!" Contemno commanded.

"You are not welcome here, demon! Away with you!" Toadsworth exclaimed. He shot the palm of his hand out in Contemno's direction and it began to glow in a gentle, white aura. A series of small shooting stars rained down from the sky and raced towards Contemno. The mage used his weapon to fend them off, but there were too many. The celestial onslaught quickly overwhelmed him.

On the ground nearby, Peach was absolutely dumbfounded. What were these powers Toadsworth seemed to possess? When did he acquire them? Why was he just using them now? Contemno stood up and launched his weapon at his new opponent. Toadsworth calmly waved his cane in front of him. Thin beams of light protruded from each end like a staff and deflected Contemno's weapon with ease. Toadsworth twirled his cane like a baton. When Contemno's ball and chain came around for another attack, Toadsworth leaped high into the air to avoid it. He closed the distance between himself and Contemno as he landed near the mage. The elderly toad swatted Contemno off his feet and with the palm of his hand, pushed the mage several feet backwards. Contemno plunged into the nearby castle lake. The pair were safe for the moment. Peach climbed to her feet and rushed over to Toadsworth's side. His entired body was now encased in this white, glittery aura.

"Toadsworth…what is this? What's going on? How are you able to-"

"I never wanted you to know…," the elderly Toad interrupted.

"Know about what?" Peach asked.

"What I am. What _you_ truly are. I'd hoped the day would never come when I would have to call upon this power to protect you like this." The princess continued to stare at her elderly assistant in sheer disbelief. She knew they didn't have much time to talk, so she had to pick her questions carefully to try and best understand the situation as quickly as possible.

"…How long have you had powers like this?"

"Since the day you were born," Toadsworth answered.

Suddenly, Contemno sprang out of the water and rocketed back down to the ground nearby. He raced towards Toadsworth and Peach with as much speed as his short legs could muster. His weapon had transformed once again. In sheer primitive desperation, the mage materialized a simple pointed spear and rushed towards Toadsworth with full desire to simply stab him. Just as the weapon reached its mark, Toadsworth waved his hand once more. In a flash, time slowed down to a halt. Peach was only half surprised by his newfound ability to manipulate the flow of time all of a sudden. She was more concerned about getting answers.

"I don't understand…"

"I never intended for you to understand. You were never supposed to know this truth about me."

"But why? This doesn't make any sense. _Why_ do you have all these…powers? Why did you need to keep it all a secret from me until just now?" Toadsworth sighed and faced Peach at least. His eyes seemed to be full of shame.

"Do you recall the story I once told you of why it has been me who has raised you since your birth and not your mother and father?" The princess hesitated, and then nodded. "Well…there was a piece of the tale I intentionally left out; a detail I never gave you." Toadsworth glanced back at Contemno, who was still frozen in place. "I fear I may never have the chance to tell you it unless I do so now. So I will." Peach braced herself for whatever bomb her suddenly mysterious adviser was about to drop on her next.

"Please…," Peach invited.

"You were not born an ordinary child, princess. You have gifts I'm sure you never truly recognized until recently. The truth is, you have always had them. These gifts made you precious and…valuable. There were those who would seek to steal you in hopes of harnessing your power for themselves. As I held your infant self in my arms one evening, I could not bear the thought of someone taking you away from me. I loved you too much. So I made a wish on a passing star; a wish that you would be forever guarded from harm by any means necessary. It just so happened that my wish came true."

"So _that's_ how you…"

"Yes," Toadsworth confirmed. "The stars granted me an assortment of powers. The very ones you just saw me demonstrate. It was intended that I would use these powers when you needed my protection the most. But seeing as I was only getting older over the years, becoming some sort of vigilante type was out of the question. To that end, I feared for your safety. That is…until we met Master Mario."

"That's why it's always been him then…," Peach gathered. "All the times when I was kidnapped or in danger. You could have been the one to save me. But instead it was Mario…" Toadsworth nodded.

"I was never meant to be your hero. I was too old and too frail to save you myself. Master Mario was exactly who you needed. But only now when he is missing did I at last see my time to step forward and fight for you," Toadsworth explained. Despite his elaborations, he still seemed cryptic. Peach wasn't fully grasping the whole situation. "That is why, princess…" The elderly Toad glanced back at Peach. "I will protect you with my life." Before the sentiment could sink in, a dreadful pattering of punctured flesh rang through the air. Toadsworth coughed up a small bit of blood and glanced down at his torso. Peach gasped.

"A touching bravado…," Contemno began. "But a fruitless one at that." The mage's spear had been violently thrusted straight through Toadsworth's chest. Peach's eyes watered as she watched her caretaker's body fall limp. The mage approached his remaining target.

"You monster!" Peach screamed.

"You of all people would know what a true monster is like," Contemno rebutted. With tears flowing like bathwater, Peach glared into the empty eye sockets of her enemy.

"WHO ARE YOU!? WHY ARE YOU DOING ALL OF THIS!?" The princess roared hoarsely.

"Giving you such answers is meaningless. You're too ignorant; too far gone to ever truly comprehend my intentions," Contemno answered. "You are yet another of life's imperfections. I will gladly wipe this earth clean of you." The mage raised his spear over his head, then sharply thrust in straight down towards the princess. In a knee-jerk reaction, Peach shielded herself with her hands stretched out in front of her as if to block the attack. Suddenly, a dazzling pink light penetrated the space between Peach and Contemno and blinded each of them. The terrible shriek of glass shattering rang and echoed all through the air and everything in sight became blanketed in an abyss of white light.

As the world came back into clarity once more, Contemno lifted his head and examined the area around him. The clash between his power and Peach's had left the castle grounds in ruins. The gardens were polka dotted with patches of violently sheered and scorched grass. Under eternally dancing flames, the castle was gradually melting and crumbling into a mountain of rubble and debris. The sky was polluted with thick clouds of smoke in the aftermath. All that remained after the conflict aside from Contemno himself was the now lifeless corpse of the princess's elderly protector. Peach on the other hand had mysteriously vanished.

"Sir!" someone exclaimed from nearby. It was one of Contemno's henchmen. The armored soldier sprinted over to the mage's side and helped the latter up to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm mostly unharmed," Contemno answered.

"That's a relief. It seems we were a bit naïve in assuming there would be no opposition to our advances today. But that explosion just now made me fear the worst had happened," the soldier explained.

"There's nothing to be concerned about," Contemno assured his follower. "The only one here who could have possibly stood a chance against me has already perished."

"You mean the girl?" The soldier inquired.

"Hardly. I was more so referring to that old codger Toadsworth." He eyeballed his fallen opponent, who was practically floating in a pool of his own blood. "I must admit that I was not aware he possessed such power. He did an admirable job hiding it for all these years. But his secrecy did little to save him or his precious princess in the end." Contemno looked onward into the horizon. "As for Peach herself, she is of little concern to me. I may have been unaware of the fact that she too has been housing a hidden power until now, but it hardly matters. Unlike the Toad, she has likely just begun to tap into her true potential." The mage clutched his fist as a dark aura engulfed in. "While _I_ have had years to master my own."

Just then, two more of Contemno's armored henchmen arrived on the scene. Using their combined strength, they were carrying a large, rectangular stone box.

"Sir, where did you want this?" one of the soldiers asked. Contemno strolled over and brushed the side of the box with his glove for a brief moment as he examined it.

"Take it inside and put it somewhere safe." The two broad-shouldered soldiers exchanged confused glances.

"But sir…there's not much left to the castle…," the second soldier replied.

"Don't worry about that. She'll make it a home for herself in time," Contemno reasoned. The two soldiers shrugged and carried the box away.

"So what shall we do now, sir?" the original soldier inquired. Contemno adjusted his gloves and mask slightly.

"I believe it is time we paid the Koopa Kingdom a visit," the mage answered.


	12. With All My Heart

Kammy sat alone in her room. Sitting was the only thing she could do to keep herself at ease, but it hardly helped. She gripped her wand firmly, but her hands continued to tremble. Her eyes were puffy and red behind her glasses as she resisted the urge to cry once more. Anxiety coursed through the witch's veins.

Her mind was racing with thoughts of the past and the future. Bowser's final cryptic order to her was still fresh in her mind.

 _"Actually, this is perfect timing. Kammy, there's something I need you to do for me."_

 _"Yes, Lord Bowser?" Kammy replied. He handed her a small box._

 _"I want you to give this to Junior," Bowser instructed. Kammy lifted the flap, glanced at the contents of the box, and looked back at Bowser once more. "But only when he's ready for it."_

 _"Why would you task me with this now?" the witch asked. "You yourself declared that Junior wasn't ready to be king yet. In fact, you forbade it. Giving this to him now will only-"_

 _"Just because Junior isn't ready now, doesn't mean he never will be. He'll bounce back from this setback. I know he will, because he's my son. He's a Koopa after all. We don't quit after a single setback. And when that time comes and he's finally made it as king, I want him to know about this," Bowser answered._

 _"What's so special about it?"_

 _"You're going to **make** it special," Bowser declared. Kammy's eyebrows rose._

 _"Me?" Bowser nodded._

 _"I want you to work some magic on it. The kind to protect Junior if things ever get really, REALLY bad. I hope the day will never come where Junior will be in enough danger that he'll have to turn to this. But I want him to know that he'll have help from it, even when things seem to be at their worst."_

 _"I understand. He clearly needs it right now so I'll just-"_

 _"No, don't," Bowser stopped her. "I don't want Junior relying on this as a crutch. In fact, I want you to put in some precautions to make especially sure he **doesn't** rely on it."_

 _"I…don't understand…," Kammy confessed. Bowser walked over and forcefully gripped each of Kammy's forearms. The elderly witch was taken aback by the intensity in Bowser's icy stare._

 _"I want you to make this a hail mary, got it? Something that Junior knows about, but won't use unless he absolutely **has** to. We're talking life-or-death here. Use your magic to put some kind of curse on it or give it some sort of cost for using it. I don't care what. Just make it as clear as day for Junior to understand that he can't use it lightly. Only unless he's 100% sure he needs it in order to survive."_

 _"Why would you ever want me to make something that could potentially harm your son?" Kammy asked._

 _"Because part of being a great leader is making important choices; ones that not only affect you, but the people around you. I want Junior to learn how to weigh his options and make tough calls with confidence," Bowser described. "If he doesn't learn this skill, all the magic and raw strength in the world won't help him. He won't be a true leader; just a fool who could get all of his family and subjects killed with one bad call."_

 _"Why can't you just teach this to him yourself?"_

 _"Because I know how Junior learns. Books and lectures are just in one ear, out the other with him. Firsthand experience is the only way he's gonna master this. As his father, I can't just put Junior in a life-or-death situation suddenly and tell him to choose. I still have certain obligations to protect him as a parent. But I'm also a strategic leader myself, as you know. I wouldn't have made the difficult decision of asking you to make something that could hurt my son if I wasn't confident he could grow and benefit from it too. Trust me on this, Kammy. It's for his own good."_

Kammy glared at the box that housed her horrid creation. She didn't understand Bowser's logic at all at the time, and she still didn't now. How could anyone – much less Junior – understand the true meaning behind Bowser's request if he was simultaneously hoping Junior would never have to use this?

Kammy sat the box down aggressively on the floor and climbed up from her chair. The only thing that was clear to her now was her current role. In Bowser's absence, it was up to Kammy to ensure that Junior was protected from harm at all costs.

As she slowly meandered over to the exit of her room, the witch knew that Junior needed her protection now more than ever. Not just because he was emotionally and physically hurt. But also because she could sense in her bones that a terrible, dark evil was on its way to the castle right now. She needed to make the necessary preparations right away. As she hurried down the carpeted corridor, a single tear rolled down the witch's cheek. Kammy knew what needed to be done next. But her better judgement told her that her actions wouldn't matter in the end. There was no stopping what was coming next. All she could do was try to minimize the damage in the outcome.

The time of judgement was here.

* * *

Feeling well-rested and rejuvenated didn't mean Junior was on-board with Larry's plan. He begrudgingly followed the blue-haired Koopaling down the winding staircase to the throne room where the others were waiting.

"This is so dumb," Junior complained.

"No, what's dumb is how you ran off like that when you were hurt," Larry contested. "We gave you space like you wanted instead of hounding you when you came back, so now you need to keep up your end of the bargain."

The pair passed through the grand towering doorway, but Larry was the only one of them who made eye contact with the other Koopalings. A minute of silence passed before Wendy cut through the tension in the air and gave Junior a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," she began.

"Just say it," Junior muttered reluctantly.

"Say what?" Roy asked.

"Say how disappointed you are in me," Junior clarified.

"What makes you think we're disappointed?" Iggy inserted.

"Let's see. I failed the test. I ran away when I was hurt instead of owning up to my mistakes. I pushed you all away when I needed you the most because I'm a selfish little turd. Take your pick," Junior clarified. Wendy hugged Junior again.

"We're just glad you're safe. That's all that really matters," she corrected.

"I mean, yeah we're a little peeved that you chose to shut us out when we're just tryin' to help ya," Roy added. "But that's all."

"So what happens now?" Junior inquired after Wendy released him.

"Whaddya mean?" Lemmy asked.

"Well, are we back to training? Am I ever gonna get the chance to try the exam again? Or is Dad gonna chew me up and spit me out when he finds out I'm back?" The Koopalings fell silent all of a sudden.

"We…don't really know," said Iggy. "Bowser hasn't said anything to us about it, and then he ran off again with the council so we're just kinda hanging out in limbo right now until he gets back."

* * *

Rain poured endlessly as the night wore on. Contemno leaped out from a portal of dark purple energy and stuck the landing on the roof effortlessly despite how slick and slippery it had become from all the water. The mage took a deep breath and steeled himself for his next advancement. He waved his arms, but stopped in his tracks at the last second as he sensed a presence.

"You anticipated my arrival with impeccable timing. Impressive," Contemno praised. Kammy emerged from the shadows. Lightning pierced through the darkness of the night and reflected ominously off her glasses. Her stern expression was unfazed by Contemno's compliment.

"You are not welcome here. Leave this place immediately," Kammy warned.

 _I've already been threatened by one old geezer._ Contemno thought to himself. _I will not allow this charade to continue._

"Tell me," Contemno began. "I heard this castle was the estate of the Great and Terrible King Bowser. So why then does he not jump to defend it himself from intruders?"

"If you were half as knowledgeable as you desperately wish to appear," Kammy began. "Then you would know that kings do not simply lay down their lives so easily. They have people to fight for them."

"True," Contemno responded. "But then again, Bowser is no ordinary king, is he? Certainly not the kind to run and let others fight his battles when he is directly challenged."

"Lord Bowser has no time to soil his hands with trash like you."

"I'd rather hear that from him. But since he's not here…" Kammy's breathing grew shallow.

 _How did he know that Lord Bowser isn't here? Just who is this fellow?_ Kammy wondered. Contemno pointed a gloved finger straight at Kammy.

"Consider this a declaration. I'm _taking_ this castle for myself, and I will shed as much blood as necessary to make it happen," the mage threatened. Kammy gritted her teeth and gripped her wand aggressively. Thoughts flashed through her mind; images of Bowser, Junior, and the Koopalings.

They were all so precious to her. She couldn't bear to see them harmed by this monster. Aside from Bowser himself, they were all still down inside the castle below; unaware of the terror just above their heads.

It was up to her and her alone to handle this threat. Her last pleasant exchange with Bowser flickered through her memory one last time.

 _"I want you and the others to look after Junior while I'm gone."_

This was a promise Kammy had no choice but to keep.

 _"Thank you…for everything. You always put up with all of my garbage. I yell at you when you don't deserve it. I've treated you like a slave for so long when I should've treated you like a friend. You're always thinking about what's best for me, and I never give you the respect you deserve for that."_

"I don't want you to worry about our relationship now, Lord Bowser…," Kammy muttered out loud. "Just allow me to prove that I am worthy of your respect after all…" Contemno heard Kammy's resolve, but didn't comment on it.

"If you insist on standing in my way," Contemno began as he raised a hand towards Kammy. "Then you will be the first in this place that I strike down." Kammy gripped her wand firmly as the last of her memories flashed through her mind. The very last thing she saw was Junior.

 _Lord Bowser….I will protect him…..with all my heart._

Contemno launched a pair of magic chains in Kammy's direction. The red jewel at the end of Kammy's wand glowed. She casted a series of small magical walls to block each tip before they could make contact. They ducked and weaved and danced like serpents as they frantically searched for an opening to no avail. Contemno was slightly impressed at the witch being able to keep up with his movements in her old age. But he knew he could outpace her with time.

In the small windows of recoil between Contemno's whips, Kammy managed to launch a few magical blasts. Being much younger and far more agile, dodging the projectiles took little effort on Contemno's part.

Choosing to close the distance and end things quickly, Contemno rocketed high into the air. Just as he reached the peak of his jump, lightning cracked in the sky behind him. Kammy was caught off-guard slightly by the ominous silhouette that was cast, but her resolve ultimately remained firm. The mage dove down directly above Kammy. She waited for just the right moment. Contemno took note of her lack of immediate retaliation. But it wasn't enough of a surprise to halt the momentum behind his free-fall.

Contemno was now mere inches away from making contact with Kammy. Just as he waved his arm across his face to cast his next attack, he witnessed Kammy perform the same action – although in the opposite direction. As her wand crossed paths with his hand, its jewel began to glow. Contemno steeled himself for a point-blank attack as he shielded his face with his arms. Kammy smirked at Contemno's reaction. Had she been hoping for this?

Before Contemno could plan his next move, a large yellow block plummeted down among the rainfall. It crashed and shattered directly on top of Contemno; grounding him. Had anyone been there to witness their bout, they would recognize this technique effortlessly. Dropping wooden blocks had been Kammy's specialty ever since she first planted one on top of the gate of Goomba Village all those years ago.

Seizing this opportunity, Kammy leapt several feet backward towards the edge of the castle rooftop to gain some distance between herself and her opponent. The pieces of the broken wooden block began to hover in midair seconds later.

They spun and twirled round and round in a tornado formation. Contemno climbed to his feet, raised his palm to Kammy, and with the flick of his wrist, shot the wood pieces at her one-by-one like bullets. Refusing to miss a step, Kammy only had enough time to cast small, plate-like magical barriers to defend herself from Contemno's onslaught. She countered each one with precision as they reached her. Contemno launched as least a dozen projectiles, but not a single one had managed to so much as graze her.

"Bravo," Contemno praised. "I would expect no less from a grand master."

"Stow your petty compliments!" Kammy barked back. "If you're _really_ in such awe, then stand down!"

"I would be betraying all that I strive for if I were to do that…," Contemno argued. He summoned his chains once more. "Witness the dawn of a new era of magic as I surpass you!" Contemno launched one of his chains towards Kammy. Before the witch could devise any sort of counter measure, the magical serpent smacker her wrist and sent her wand rolling and tumbling off the roof.

The now-defenseless Kammy only had enough time to glimpse her only means of protection plummet into the shadows before Contemno rushed directly towards her. The witch clenched her fist. The mage's chain transformed into a spear once more; dotted with a few small stains of blood from its last victim. Contemno reached his target in record time. He thrusted his spear towards her with all his might. Kammy opened her palm right in his face.

A dazzling flash of light blinded Contemno; forcing not only his spear to change course at the last second and narrowly miss its target, but for him to step back and cover his mask in recoil. Kammy rolled out of his range and thrusted her trembling arm out. Seconds later, her wand ricocheted out of the darkness like a boomerang and landed back in Kammy's hand. She waved her wand and cast a raw beam of magic at Contemno. The latter created a blast of his own from his hand. The two forces clashed and illuminated the stormy night sky in a rainbow of colors.

As the light subsided, Contmeno and Kammy continued to stare one another down. The latter was noticeably out-of-breath, and her wand was gradually beginning to slip through her boney fingers. Thunder crackled and lightning strobed furiously; briefly illuminating the intense resolve that was plastered across Kammy's face. Contemno clenched his fist.

"I've had enough of this pointless bout!" the mage threatened. "You will relent to my will, or you will perish!" Though exhausted, Kammy remained ultimately unfazed by her opponent's threat.

"You think yourself to be so high and mighty…," the witch began. "Your youth and your magical prowess betray you…"

"How so?" A minute passed before Kammy answered at last.

"You haven't the slightest idea where true strength comes from."

"Wretched old hag! You _dare_ question my resolve!?" Contemno contested angrily. "You could _never_ understand where my power comes from! You will die with your ignorance!" Kammy chuckled ominously. Contemno was caught off-guard by her response. The jewel on Kammy's wand began to glow brighter than it ever had before. The power contained within was almost too much. The jewel itself began to crack as the energy began to leak out in streams.

"I will strike you down with all the power I have left!" Kammy vowed.

"Let us just see if you live long enough to make it happen!" Contemno challenged.

The mage rushed towards Kammy with nothing more than an outstretched hand. He was prepared to throw himself into ground zero of whatever catastrophe his opponent was conjuring if it meant successfully disarming her. Just as Contemno grasped his target, the wand's jewel gleamed its brightest and shattered; unleashing a carnivorous crimson explosion in its wake.

* * *

Junior and the Koopalings sat together in the solemn throne room silently. No one had a word to say. Feeling utterly directionless, they were collectively content with simply existing in the moment and nothing more. Junior stood up at last, and everyone turned to him since he was the only thing moving in this vicinity. The Koopa Prince strolled over towards the double doors.

"Where are you going?" Larry asked.

"To find my dad," Junior answered.

"You nuts? It's pourin' out there," Roy objected.

"So? I'll take my clown car."

"Sure, great plan. As long as that includes getting struck by lightning," Iggy contested.

"Look, I have to do this. I'll be fine," Junior assured. Larry rushed over and placed his hand tenderly on Junior's shoulder.

"Junior, you'll get another chance. I'm sure you will," Larry reasoned. "Bowser's gotta retire sometime and whether he likes it or not, you're still the obvious one to succeed him. Let's just relax and talk to him when he gets back." Junior brushed Larry's hand aside.

"This isn't about the test," the Koopa Prince argued. "There's something else I need to ask him about..." The Koopalings only continued to stare Junior down.

"And that is…?"

Suddenly, the entire ceiling above collapsed in on itself and rained down upon the room's inhabitants below like an avalanche. The Koopalings scattered, ducked, and tumbled in every direction to avoid getting buried. As the dust settled and everyone reclaimed their bearings, they zeroed in on the source of the destruction that had just landed in front of them.

Contemno staggered to his feet. A few feet in front of him, Kammy was miraculously still standing. Her cracked glasses were still staring Contemno down in spite of the blast that had engulfed them seconds ago. The witch pointed her wand at him. The mage chuckled at what he witnessed.

The golden handle of the wand itself was still intact, but the ruby it housed was nonexistent; having shattered into pieces in the blast. From Contemno's perspective, Kammy was stubbornly trying to threaten him with a gold-plated stick.

Even with her eyes still hidden behind her glasses, Contemno could read Kammy's expression effortlessly. She was on the cusp of death. There was nothing keeping her standing except for the raw determination of her will. As frail as Kammy appeared to be now, Contemno surmised that it would take little more than a gentle breeze to knock her over. He took one pained step towards her and prepared to finish the job.

"Not so fast, bub!" Roy exclaimed as he and Morton led the collaborative charge towards the mysterious intruder. Contemno waved both of his arms like a symphony conductor and unleashed a wave of purple aura across all stretches of the throne room. Junior and the Koopalings were all caught in the blast. The wave pushed them off to the corners of the room. Before any of them could retaliate, purple chains materialized around each of their waists and stapled them in place against the walls.

"Now, now," Contemno began, menacingly. He folded his hands behind his back and cordially strode over towards the Koopa Witch. "I will deal with the lot of you in just a moment. For now, Kammy and I have unfinished business."

"Kammy!" Junior shouted. The Koopalings followed suit in trying to get her attention, but with little success. Kammy was frozen in place. She wheezed and trembled and failed to acknowledge the calling of her name. Contemno approached her and lifted her chin up with one finger.

The Koopalings continued to struggle, but none of them could break free from their chains. Roy gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might to escape; whether his arms came with him or not.

Kammy's glasses met Contemno's mask.

Larry could feel his heart racing in his chest.

The spear materialized in Contemno's free hand.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Iggy's head.

Contemno brushed the side of Kammy's paralyzed face with his blood-spattered spear as he savored the kill.

"Kammy, please! Snap out of it!" Wendy begged one last time.

"Your era is over…," Contemno declared.

Lemmy shut his eyes and looked away.

"Now, we shall do things _my_ way…"

Just as Contemno thrusted the spear forward, a golden crescent shaped blast of magic grazed Contemno's hip and sent him flying backwards until he crashed into the wall. The captive audience sat in awe.

"Ludwig!" Junior cheered. As the smoke from his fist dissipated, Ludwig rushed over from the doorway to Kammy's side to aid her.

"Kammy! Kammy! Can you hear me!?" Kammy didn't respond. Her breathing had grown even more hoarse and shallow.

"Nice of ya to join us, Luddy!" Roy called out sarcastically.

"I heard the explosion all the way from my private study and came running. Is everyone alright?" Ludwig responded.

"Forget about us! Get Kammy out of here!" Iggy ordered. Ludwig nodded and prepared to lift the elderly witch in his arms. Just as he began, Ludwig's entire body glowed in a sinister purple aura. The Koopaling was violently thrust straight up into the air, forcing him to drop Kammy onto the floor just before his ascension. Ludwig struggled, but could not break free of the magical constraint.

 _A levitation spell?_ Ludwig wondered to himself.

"Hands off!" Contemno warned. The audience of the room returned its attention to the mage. Contemno violently thrusted his arm. Ludwig was instantly sent flying across the room. The Koopaling crashed into the side of Bowser's massive throne and landed nearby. The impact had uprooted it as the towering stone chair rocked back and forth violently. Just as Ludwig climbed to his feet, the throne came crashing down on top of him; pinning him to the floor under its weight.

"I will not be denied!" Contemno continued. Ludwig tugged and pushed with all his might, but could not lift the chair. If only his physical strength could have matched Bowser's or even Roy's. With a snap of his finger, Contemno teleported directly over to Kammy, who was sprawled out helplessly on the floor. The mage snatched up his spear once more and lifted it high above his head.

"No!" Ludwig screamed.

"Stop!" Larry begged.

"Please!" Junior pleaded with tears in his eyes.

Having savored his moment, Contemno thrust the spear down with all his might.

...

...

 _Lord Bowser...Forgive me…_

The room fell to a pin drop silence after the grotesque puncturing of flesh echoed all throughout the castle. Thunder roared and lightning strobed through the windows for a few seconds as the storm outside the castle raged on. The Koopalings sat still in horror as the lifeless body of their magical mentor began to float in a crimson pool of her defeat.


	13. The Dancing Shell

**Author's Note:**

 _Hey all, I have an important announcement. Starting from chapter 12 onward, I will now begin each chapter with a brief recap of the events from the previous chapter._

 _This was a suggestion submitted to me by a friend who is also reading the story. Since there are so many characters and subplots being juggled, I understand how it can be daunting for new readers to jump in. Also, since these chapters take a while to write and there can be significant chunks of time between updates to the story, it can be easy to forget what happened last time._

 _To remedy this, I'm going to start offering a brief summary of the most recent events to help readers catch up in order to help them become better immersed in the chapter they're about to read. I plan to do this for every chapter going forward. If time allows, I might go back and update previous chapters with recaps as well._

 _Hope this helps! Without further ado, on to chapter 12!_

* * *

 **RECAP:**

 **Having made his presence known in the Mushroom Kingdom, Contemno set his sights on Bowser's castle with plans to conquer it.**

 **But, little did he know that Kammy Koopa foresaw his arrival and was waiting for him atop the castle roof. The witch knew her chances of winning against Contemno were slim. But she resolved to stand and fight anyway. Kammy vowed to protect Junior and the Koopalings with all her heart.**

 **As Contemno and Kammy dueled on top of Bowser's castle, Junior and the Koopalings reconciled and discussed their next steps in the Koopa Prince's training. Junior was determined to find Bowser and ask him an important question. But before he could depart, the roof caved in from above.**

 **Contemno detained the room's inhabitants. Despite a valiant effort from Ludwig, all were powerless to stop the intruder. Junior and the Koopalings were forced to watch in horror as their beloved master was brutally murdered in front of them.**

 **Will they be next?**

* * *

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Roy roared. "LEMME DOWN FROM HERE! I'LL TEAR YOU APART! I'LL CRUSH YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW! I SWEAR IT!" As the muscular Koopaling struggled and ranted, the others were silently content that the magic chains were holding him back. Clearly this was a dangerously powerful foe and provoking him further with threats of violence would likely only lead to more of them being executed.

As his spear disappeared into thin air, Contemno brushed the palms of his gloves together to casually dust them off. He turned around at last to face his captive audience.

"Now then, where are my manners? I don't believe we've met before," Contemno spoke with a calm, gentleman-like demeanor. Junior and the Koopalings were deeply unsettled as to how quickly this ruthless murderer composed himself. Did he honestly believe a cordial flip of the switch would change their opinion of him after what they'd just witnessed?

"Who are you? Just what the hell do you want?" Ludwig confronted. The mage turned to him.

"I am Contemno. As for what I want, well that's rather simple. I'll be taking this castle for myself." Contemno scanned the room. "If anyone says otherwise, you'll be sharing the fate of your beloved master," he threatened as he motioned towards Kammy's corpse. "Now then, tell me where your king is so I might…dethrone him."

Larry was disgusted when he witnessed Roy glance over at Junior for a brief second. He couldn't fathom the idea that one of his own brothers would even contemplate selling Junior out to this psychopath. Roy acknowledged Larry's icy stare with a stern expression of his own, and opened his mouth to speak.

"He's not here," Iggy replied. Roy and Larry stopped their silent conflict upon hearing their sibling speak up.

"Then where might I find him?" Contemno inquired.

"How should we know? He left without telling us anything!" Lemmy inserted. Contemno paused, as if he were plotting his next move.

"Is that so?" The mage strolled across the throne room and set his sights on Junior. The Koopa Prince's eyes widened in horror. "Then perhaps we'll just wait here for his return. He'll have to come home sometime." Contemno gently rotated his wrist in a circle. Junior could feel the chains that were binding him to the wall begin to move. They pulled Junior out of the wall, and lowered him down to Contemno's level.

"After all, he still has a son to care for." The Koopalings gasped softly under their breath.

"How did you-," Larry started.

"That's right. I know all about _you_ , Prince Bowser Jr.," Contemno confirmed. The mage brushed his finger underneath Junior's chin in the very same fashion he savored killing Kammy.

Junior began to sweat as his heart raced and his breaths grew shallow. The Koopa Prince gritted his teeth and tried earnestly to hide his immense fear from the soulless black abyss that made up Contemno's eyes. But now that Contemno was close enough to be in physical contact with him, Junior was positive that any slight movement from the mage would be enough to make him wet himself at the very least.

"Then again…," Contemno started as he paced in a slow circle around Junior. The Koopa Prince refused to take his eyes off Contemno out of fear that he would miss the killing blow that put him out of his misery. "Every king grooms an heir to one day inherit the throne. Surely Bowser is no different." The mage stopped as if to allow the implications of his words to simmer for a moment.

Suddenly, Junior flinched as Contemno sliced the air with his hand. The chains binding Junior vanished into thin air, but he was too petrified to celebrate his newfound freedom with any greater degree of movement. The mage completed his menacing lap around Junior and refreshed his paralyzing glare at his prey.

"How about it then?" Contemno provoked. "Care to demonstrate just how far the apple truly falls from the tree?" The mage held out his hand. To the uninitiated, it would seem as though Contemno were offering Junior a hand of comradery to help him stand up. But as the inhabitants of the room had predicted, something far more sinister was at work.

In Contemno's open glove, a sword materialized. It was a bland, generic blade in appearance, but that did little to detract from the intimidating impression left by its presence. The tip was pointed squarely at Junior, but the latter was frozen in place.

"Consider this a sporting chance, my boy," Contemno elaborated. "An opportunity to avenge your beloved teacher, defend your subjects, and perhaps most important of all…," the mage hunched over until his mask was inches away from Junior's face.

"A moment of glory to show Daddy that you aren't such a _failure_ after all." Junior's eyes lit up in astonishment as his jaw dropped.

How on _earth_ did this guy know about him or his failed test?

To the on-lookers in the room, it appeared as though Junior was about to have a stroke. The silence of the moment was accompanied by an eerie stillness as everyone waited for Junior to make a move.

Feeling as though he'd wasted enough time, Contemno raised the sword above his head and swung down directly towards Junior. The latter fell backward and narrowly avoided getting sliced in half.

Junior glanced over at Larry, who was still pinned to the wall a few feet away. The sheer panic in his eyes was telling him not only to keep moving, but to fight back somehow. It was the only way out. Contemno charged towards Junior with his sword. The latter stood up in a panic and ran away as fast as he could. As the mage gave chase, he flicked his wrist.

A large piece of rubble from the ceiling slid across the ground directly into Junior's path. Failing to notice it in time, the Koopa Prince tripped and stumbled over the debris and fell to the ground once more. Before he could pick himself back up, Contemno pounced high into the air and thrust his sword straight down to pin his opponent in place.

Thinking fast, Junior retracted his head, tail and limbs into his shell. When the blade made contact, a shivering, unpleasant screeching noise rang through the air; one reminiscent of a knife scratching a plate.

To Contemno's surprise, the shell began to spin like a top and took off across the marble floor. The shell approached the grand hall's doors, but Contemno thrust his palm out; shutting them before Junior could reach his destination. Yet, this didn't appear to slow him down one bit.

The shell slid up the door's surface, then rolled back down like a skateboard on a half pipe. Zipping right past Contemno, the shell now made a beeline for the opposite end of the room.

Confused, but still determined to catch his prey, Contemno tossed his sword straight up into the air with one hand, and blasted it with a simple shot of pure magical energy with the other. The sword multiplied into a small army of levitating daggers. Pointing with his index finger, Contemno fired the daggers off one after the other with strategic timing and aim.

Each one barely missed the mobile shell. By the time Contemno and the Koopalings could figure out what Junior was planning, it was too late.

The shell rushed into the collapsed stone chair with tremendous might and shattered it into pieces. A cloud of smoke erupted into the air; obscuring the outcome of the collision. Contemno decided to halt his attack for a moment and wait for the dust to settle. This would allow him a moment to determine just what his opponent was seeking to accomplish in this battle.

Ludwig coughed profusely from all of the dust. Before the Koopaling could gather what had just happened, he felt a hand grab his own and lift his entire body out of the pile. He smiled when he witnessed Junior standing at his side.

"Excellent use of physical magic, Prince Junior," Ludwig praised. "I had no idea you were even capable of such a maneuver with your shell."

"I had a good teacher," Junior explained. The two smiled for a brief moment. Then their expressions sunk into determination when they realized their time was limited.

"So what's the plan?" Junior asked.

"You tell me!" Ludwig replied. "Clearly this maniac is intent on challenging your kingship in Lord Bowser's absence. _You_ are in charge here as far as I am concerned." Horror flashed across Junior's face.

"What!? No way!" Junior denied. "I can't fight this guy! Didn't you see what he just did to-" Ludwig placed his hand on Junior's shoulder.

"Prince Junior, we cannot dwell on that right now, or else our lives are forfeit. We need a plan." Junior cupped his chin in his hand and pondered.

Meanwhile, the throne room remained still as it waited for the dust to settle. Larry was beginning to wonder if Junior was even still conscious in there. Contemno was beginning to lose his patience.

"I grow tired of this game, little prince!" Contemno exclaimed. "Surely you don't hope to find salvation in burying yourself with rubble." The mage waited for a response, but nothing came. Finally, the dust settled as two silhouettes came into view.

Junior hopped out of the smoke and faced his opponent. His mixed expression conveyed a desperate desire to face his fears despite lacking the confidence in his own ability to do so.

Without waiting for a response, Contemno waved his arms and pulled out his trusty pair of chains. Junior was too slow to avoid them in time. The chains wrapped themselves around his waist and yanked him forward. Junior wriggled but couldn't break free. He immediately settled on his only remaining option.

After struggling for a moment, the Koopa Prince managed to successfully withdraw back into his shell once again. The chains tightened their grip, but ultimately couldn't squeeze through the sheer durability of Junior's shell. Contemno groaned aggressively in frustration.

"Do you honestly hope to defeat me simply by cowering in fear!?" the mage roared. He received no retort from his opponent and accepted it. With all his might, the mage swung his newly-crafted ball-and-chain straight into the wall nearby. He repeated this motion over and over again. The castle shook violently and the cracks in the wall grew larger and larger with every blow from the shell. The grunts in desperation multiplied as Contemno struggled to break through Junior's defense.

"The hell is Junior doing!?" Roy criticized from the other end of the room.

"Buying me some time," a voice replied. The Koopalings all looked down to see Ludwig standing beneath them. His arms were stretched out as if he was waiting to catch them.

"Whaddya mean?" Lemmy inquired. The thunderous crashing sound in the background suddenly caught their attention once more. A rhythm was forming as the intervals of time between Junior's shell colliding with the wall fell into a consistent length.

"Surely even a mage as powerful as Contemno cannot divert so much of his energy into two tasks at once," Ludwig explained.

"COWARD!" Contemno roared. "I WILL UTTERLY ERADICATE YOU ONCE I SHATTER THIS CURSED SHELL OF YOUR'S!" He continued to slam Junior's shell into the wall.

After waiting for just the right moment, Ludwig yanked his arms back with all of his might. Suddenly, all of the chains binding his siblings to the wall vanished and each of the Koopalings touched down on the floor to join Ludwig. They wasted no time in turning their attention towards Junior, who was still trapped inside his shell and at the mercy of Contemno's chains.

"We need to get Prince Junior away from that monster and escape from here as quickly as possible," Ludwig proposed.

"But how?" Wendy asked. Ludwig put his hands together.

"I believe I can teleport all of us out of here at once. But it will take time to build up enough energy."

"Well, while you do your thing Ludwig, the rest of us will gang up on that dweeby elf!" Roy offered. "No way he can take all of us at once while Junior's got him distracted like this."

"Don't be so reckless," Ludwig warned. "Only a few of you should go. I'm going to be utterly defenseless here while I prepare the spell."

"He's right," Iggy agreed. "Ludwig's gonna be a sitting duck, and we can't throw all of ourselves into danger when we don't know everything that this lunatic is capable of." Morton placed his hand on Ludwig's shoulder.

"Guh," Morton uttered.

"Good thinking, Morton," Iggy praised. "You be his bodyguard."

"Lemmy and I will share our energy with Ludwig to help him charge up faster," Wendy submitted.

"Yeah," Roy concurred. "And Larry, Iggy, and me are gonna take point. Let's make this quick." Everyone in the group nodded in unison. With their roles assigned, it was time at last to put their plan into action.

"C'mon! We gotta help Junior!" Larry directed. He clapped his hands together and summoned his blue shield. Roy and Iggy followed his lead as they charged towards Contemno.

The mage turned to acknowledge the offensive entourage approaching him, but he wasn't fast enough to respond in time. Roy and Iggy tackled Contemno and pinned him to the wall. Larry tossed his shield like a boomerang. It sliced through Contemno's chains effortlessly; leaving Junior's shell to fall to the ground. An unconscious Junior spilled out onto the floor. Larry scooped Junior up in his arms and rushed back over to the group.

Roy pulled his arm back, and slugged Contemno across the face; creating a large crack in the latter's mask. But before he could continue his assault, a bright stream of purple light poured out of the newly-formed opening. Roy and Iggy released Contemno as they were blinded by the light. Still conscious, Contemno staggered, but remained standing as he wheezed.

"You worms…," the mage began. "You…will rue the day you trifled with me…" Roy gritted his teeth.

"Not before we smash your pompous face in for what you did to Kammy!" the Koopaling retorted. He charged towards Contemno once more.

The mage hunched over and cradled his chest in his arms for a moment. Just as Roy reached him, Contemno threw his arms up in the air and puffed out his chest; unleashing a deep, ferocious scream.

The eye sockets in his mask radiated with purple light. Suddenly, an immense wave of aura erupted from Contemno's body and covered the room. Roy and Iggy were sent flying backwards as they landed near the others.

"How's it coming, Ludwig?" Larry asked.

"I'm almost ready," Ludwig answered.

"'Almost' isn't fast enough! He's coming this way!" Iggy pointed out. Contemno slowly limped towards the group. His entire body was engulfed with a wild, unruly aura.

"Uhh…Ludwig…," said Lemmy.

"Not yet…," Ludwig denied.

A massive purple fireball materialized in Contemno's hand.

"Ludwig!" Wendy exclaimed.

"I need more time!" Ludwig shouted.

Contemno rocketed up into the air.

"LUDWIG!" Larry screamed.

Winding his arm back, Contemno pitched the fireball straight down towards the Koopalings with blistering speed. A surge of white lightning radiated from Ludwig's hands. Just as the fireball reached them, they vanished into thin air. The fireball dissipated when it reached the floor.

Contemno landed and glared at the empty space in front of him. Then, he gripped his forearm and kneeled over as the mage nursed his injuries. The damaged mask slipped off Contemno's face and shattered into pieces when it hit the floor. He smirked and chuckled.

"This…changes nothing…"

* * *

The world was slow to come back into clarity. Cutting through the dark abyss were blurry flashes of green and white. A gentle hum leaked through the silent distortion and produced a familiar, pleasant sound. As her sense of consciousness and control over her body returned at last, Peach sat up.

The princess found herself in a small clearing of the forest. Sunlight was gleaming through the treetops above. She felt at peace amongst the chirping of birds and the gentle swaying of the bushes and branches in the morning breeze.

But how did she get here? Peach simply could not remember, and in the serenity of this moment, she hardly cared.

The dew of the grass felt heavenly against her bare, blistered feet as Peach wandered towards the river nearby. After taking a small drink, Peach splashed some water on her face and ran it through her frizzled hair. This was hardly a substitute for a real shower, but it would have to do. She dipped her feet below the surface and allowed them to soak for a few minutes.

Aside from the events that had just unfolded, it had been a long time since Peach felt this relaxed. She desperately wished it could last forever, despite knowing well in her heart that it never would. All of the peaceful atmosphere in the world wouldn't change the truth.

Peach's entire world had crumbled around her.

Mario was missing and presumably dead. Her castle was in ruins and the rest of her kingdom was sure to follow. Anyone else who could possibly aid Peach in any way now had been captured and would be lucky if they even lived long enough to become prisoners. Contemno had proven to be enough of a cunning, all-knowing adversary that even if he hadn't already somehow gotten to Bowser, Peach surmised that it would only be a matter of time before he did.

Then there was Toadsworth.

The princess's heart ached as she wept. The man who had raised her practically from birth; her mentor, her teacher, her caretaker, her adviser. But most of all, the one whom she was more than content with calling her father, was dead. He died protecting her, and for what? Peach lost the battle. She failed him. His sacrifice had been for nothing. All hope was lost.

…or was it?

Peach ripped off her torn and scorched gloves and examined her hands for the first time in ages. Her skin was smooth and soft; so pure and pristine. Wearing gloves all this time had surely preserved her hands in this state. But this was the first real moment where Peach consciously observed her own, natural features. They were so untouched and so…inexperienced.

Peach realized in this moment that she had never truly lived.

All her life, the princess had been sheltered and safeguarded from the world. This was only made more evident by Toadsworth's final vow to protect her. Peach had lived her entire life within the walls of her castle. She had never been forced to soil her hands with any sort of hard work. She had never been given the chance to find her passion. She never developed her own grit.

Even when Bowser came along to expose Peach to the outside world in his own selfish, twisted ways by kidnapping her. Mario was always there to pull her right back into her sanctuary. Peach was never asked to do any work for herself.

Now, even all the progress Peach had made with her self-defense training and the Kingdom Council felt like a lie. What good were any of them possibly doing for the world by sitting around a table chatting all day when a threat like Contemno could waltz right up to their doorstep and devastate them as easily as he did? Only now when Peach was in her most broken and vulnerable state did she see the truth at last.

Peach had no legacy to call her own. Nothing worth fighting for or protecting.

Every aspect of her life that she once took pride in was a lie. Toadsworth, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, Pauline. Everyone else was living Peach's own life for her. Only now when she was truly alone did she see just how useless she really was.

Lost and afraid in an unfamiliar land with no one around to guide Peach or tell her what to do, what chance did she have of survival? How did she even manage to avoid death at Contemno's hand? There had to be a reason why she was still alive. But if there was, she just couldn't see it.

But did she have any other choice now except to find her purpose? There was hardly any other alternative course of action she could take. With no home, no caretaker, no friends, all Peach had was herself. She could no longer ignore her inadequacy and she refused to live with it a second more. The princess would have to learn how to stand on her own for once, or perish trying. But where to start?

Suddenly, her memory came back to her in a flash. The last thing Peach remembered before waking up in this forest was countering Contemno's attack with some kind of pink light. There was an explosion that had knocked her out. Could that light have been her doing? It had to be. Toadsworth's final words came back to her as she put the pieces together.

 _You were not born an ordinary child, princess. You have gifts I'm sure you never truly recognized until recently. The truth is, you have always had them. These gifts made you precious and…valuable. There were those who would seek to steal you in hopes of harnessing your power for themselves._

Now Peach was certain of it. She _did_ have a purpose. She possessed some kind of power. Now more than ever, she needed to learn how to control this power and master it. Doing so was bound to be the only way to stop Contemno and reclaim her kingdom.

Maybe this was fate. Maybe the princess was destined to fall this far so that she could at last see the light of her potential glimmering in the dark depths of her despair. Peach would harness this power and use it to take back what was stolen from her, or die trying. The princess resolved that she would rather lose her life fighting valiantly for what was precious to her, than to hide and waste away into nothing.

* * *

Junior stirred a bit, then opened his eyes. He massaged his head as he sat up and took in the world around him. He had awoken in the clearing of some forest, though he hardly recognized it. Given the vast vegetation and life surrounding him, he was most certainly far from the Koopa Kingdom. The land Junior called home was rich in brimstone and lava. Natural life would never flourish in such a landscape. But how did he wind up here?

The Koopa Prince found his siblings nearby, who were each slowly coming back into consciousness themselves. But…something was wrong.

Junior recalled how Ludwig had managed to magically transport the group out of harm's way just as Contemno was about to strike them. Yet aside from Junior himself, only Larry, Roy, and Iggy were in attendance now.

Where had the others gone?

"Uggh…what a ride…," Roy moaned.

"I _hate_ teleportation. Always makes me s-sick…," Iggy complained. He placed a hand to his mouth as if his dissatisfied stomach were about to make itself known.

"Is everybody alright?" asked Larry.

"I guess so," Junior answered. The blue-haired Koopaling scanned the area.

"Any idea where Ludwig and the others are?"

"Beats me. I still think we could've taken that dirtbag," Roy submitted.

" _I_ don't. That guy was freaky," Iggy commented. "But hey, if you wanna jog back there and slug it out with him some more, Roy, be my guest. I want no part of it."

"Or maybe we should let our 'future leader' have the honor," said Roy sarcastically as he made a gesture towards Junior. "That's what Contemno wanted in the first place." Larry stormed over towards him.

"Are you out of your mind!?" Larry confronted. "That maniac just _murdered_ Kammy in cold blood right in front of us! And you want Junior to just march back there and fight him!?"

"Yeah! Maybe! Maybe if he had actually been studying and passed his test the first time, he would've been ready to fight off that bastard and we wouldn't have had to run away with our tails between our legs!" Roy argued. "I mean, some king we got here!"

Junior clenched his fists and Larry gritted his teeth.

"That's a low blow! Don't pin this on Junior just because he-" Larry began.

"Step off, Larry!" Roy interrupted. "Quit babying Junior like you always do and let him stand up for himself for once! This is exactly why he wasn't ready! How could he be when he had people like _you_ to always hide behind!?"

"If Kammy couldn't beat him, then none of us had a chance in hell and you _know_ it!" Junior retorted.

"Only thing I know is training you was a waste of time!" The group fell silent. "We put all this time and work into you and look where it got us. Kammy's dead now and it's all on _you_!" Junior fought back tears as he continued his standoff with Roy.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Iggy exclaimed as he forced himself between his feuding siblings. "Look, we're all upset about Kammy. But pointing fingers isn't helping."

"Hmph," Roy snorted. "You're right, Iggs. But I know what will…," the large Koopaling turned and stormed off.

"Where are you going!?" Larry shouted after him.

"To do what our so-called king couldn't," Roy answered. "I'm gonna make that psychopath pay for what he did. And I'll do it all on my own if that's what it takes." Without another word, Roy turned and continued walking away. Larry began to give chase, but Iggy grabbed his shoulder; shaking his head.

"Let him go."

"But…Roy…"

"Can be a hothead. I know," Iggy answered. "When he's upset about something, nothing's gonna get through to him." Larry stared at Iggy with fear and frustration in his eyes. "Trust me on this, Larry. I've known him longer than you. He'll cool off. We just need to give him some space."

The pair looked over at Junior, who was curled up in a fetal position on the ground nearby; facing away from them. They could see his body twitching slightly. They knew Junior was crying and resolved not to call him out on it. Iggy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, what happened back there was intense. Let's just…catch our breath for a second," Iggy suggested. His proposal went unchallenged as Junior wept and Larry looked onward after Roy, who was nearly out of sight by now.

* * *

Peach had been gathering supplies around the wooded area as her courage was igniting; stones, logs and branches, some moss, and a bushel of berries. Her quest began here. She had to make camp so that she would have some sort of home to return to each day as she explored the forest in order to better understand her surroundings.

She furiously rubbed a pair of sticks together and started a fire over a bed of logs. The friction had sharpened them to a degree where they rivaled blades. Peach blew the smoke off her makeshift knives and stared at one of them for a moment.

A gruesome image flashed through her mind of Contemno's spear and how quickly and mercilessly it ended Toadsworth's life right before her eyes. The princess gripped the stick tightly in her hand.

She vowed to never allow that cursed spear take another life. Not as long as she had anything to say about it.

Peach approached the river nearby once more and stared into her reflection. This would be the last time she would ever see this frightened, helpless little princess again when she glimpsed into a mirror. Of this, Peach had to be absolutely certain. She choked a large mass of her long, golden hair in one hand and held it out straight.

With her knife in the other, Peached jerked her arm upward in a swift, clean slice.

The liberated bundles of hair danced in the breeze before nestling atop the water's surface and drifting downstream. Peach solemnly waved goodbye to her old self and returned to her campsite. The princess summoned her three weapons – the frying pan, golf club, and tennis racket. Using her gloves as makeshift rags, Peach scrubbed away the dirt, soot and scuffs incurred in the previous battle.

After each item had been polished to a shine, the princess allowed them to disappear into thin air once more. Cleaning up her campsite and putting out the fire, Peach marched onward in search of carving out her new destiny.

 _Mario…Bowser…Toadsworth…_

 _Please…_

 _Don't watch over me. That's not who I want to be anymore. Instead…just…_

 _Wish me luck.  
_

* * *

The gentle roar of the waterfall radiated through the stillness of the forest. Having restored themselves to a degree with the pleasantries of the stream, Larry and Iggy soaked their feet and munched on some berries as they talked. They hadn't the slightest idea where they were going or what they should do next, but a destination hardly mattered to them after what they had been through the night before.

The siblings resolved to ease themselves through their pain by talking with one another about their feelings towards what they had witnessed for a few hours since the incident; their fear of Contemno, their sorrow over losing Kammy, and their frustration with Roy's uncalled for accusations and behavior.

"You really think Roy was about to sell Junior out back there if I hadn't spoken up?" Iggy asked. Larry nodded.

"Definitely. But it just doesn't make any sense. How could Roy even _think_ of doing something so awful? He knew Junior wasn't ready just as much as any of us did. If Kammy couldn't stop that monster, what chance would Junior have?" Iggy placed a hand to his chin and sighed.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Roy does have a point…," Iggy confessed. "It was Junior's responsibility to train hard and get ready to become king. We did everything we were supposed to do, but Junior slacked off and look where that got us." Larry begrudgingly agreed, but couldn't find the words to express it. "Now, going off alone to pick a fight with Contemno after Ludwig worked so hard to get us away from him may not be the smartest thing to do. But if we chase after Roy now, we'll only irritate him more. After all, that's how it's always been with him."

"But Kammy had _decades_ of fighting experience under her belt and look what happened to her in the end. That Contemno guy is wicked strong." Larry countered. "I mean, I'm mad at Contemno too for what he did. But we can't fight him. We just can't. He's too strong, and Roy has no right to blame Junior for any of this." Iggy crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Well, we can at least deal with Roy and Junior on our own. But you're right about Contemno," Iggy agreed. "Unless we can find a way to stop him ourselves, we should probably start looking for a new home since that maniac set up shop in our castle."

"I wish we knew where Bowser was…"

"You think Junior knows?"

"Why would he?"

"Well, he seemed really determined to go out and find his dad just before the attack happened. Besides, we don't know the full extent of the last conversation those two had," Iggy theorized. "Maybe Junior has some idea of where to find him." Larry didn't comment on his sibling's idea right away. "What have we got left to lose?"

"I guess you're right," Larry agreed with a nod. "Let's go find Junior."

The two journeyed up the hill slightly to the waterfall nearby. Considerable time had passed since Larry and Iggy resolved to give Junior some time alone. They were surprised to find him sitting squarely underneath the waterfall with his legs crossed. He appeared to be in some sort of meditative state.

"Junior…?" Larry called. The Koopa Prince gave no response. Larry nudged his shoulder slightly.

"Junior," Larry repeated. Still nothing. Junior appeared to be in such a deep trance that he almost looked as though he were asleep.

"Junior!" Larry exclaimed as he shook Junior's shoulder with more force.

"What? Did _you_ forget to blame me for Kammy's death too?" Junior replied bitterly at last.

"What? No, I…," the Koopaling started; he was shocked at how brutally blunt Junior was being for someone who looked some composed seconds ago. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm meditating," the Koopa Prince answered.

"Is now really the best time for that?" Junior opened his eyes and glared at Larry.

"Iggy said we should take some time to catch our breath. So I'm trying to clear my mind like Ludwig taught me," Junior explained. "I know I'm not rushing off to fight Contemno like Roy wants, but I figured I'd be a helluva lot more productive doing this than laying around crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself."

Larry and Iggy were utterly speechless as they stood by in shock. They instantly remembered their last training session with Junior and how Ludwig had taught him to use water as a means of focusing his mind in order to harness mental magic.

Neither of them could believe that Junior was actively putting his training to good use on his own like this; and especially now of all times. His maturity in this moment knew no bounds. It was a night and day difference compared to how Junior had been acting as recently as the day before. Was this really the same Junior?

"Well, how are you feeling? Is it working?" Iggy asked. Junior stood up and stepped out from underneath the water stream; soaking wet, but utterly unfazed by it.

"Yeah, it worked. I know what we're going to do next," Junior proposed confidently as he walked right past the pair.

"And…what would that be?" Larry asked. Junior turned back to face him.

"Isn't it obvious? We're gonna take down that psychopath." Larry and Iggy continued to stare at Junior.

"But we're gonna do it _my_ way."


	14. Turnabout Reflection

**Author's Note:**

 _I thought I'd try something a little bit different with the opening of this next chapter. Instead of picking up immediately where the previous one left off, I'm rewinding time a bit to right after Iggy said "Look, what happened back there was intense. Let's just…catch our breath for a second."_

 _Unlike the last chapter, this one is going to deviate slightly and explore Junior's perspective now that we know what Larry, Iggy and Peach were doing around this time. We'll take a look at how Junior arrived at his ultimate decision, then move forward in the story from there. I included some repeat dialogue to try and make it easier to recognize where the story has caught up to present time. Hopefully it isn't too confusing. Just wanted to experiment with the pacing a little bit to try and keep things fresh! Hope you enjoy!  
_

* * *

 **RECAP:**

 **With Kammy defeated, Contemno turned his attention to the captive Koopalings and singled Junior out in particular as their leader. The Koopa Prince narrowly escaped execution by retreating into his shell. Thinking fast, Junior smashed the fallen throne and freed Ludwig from the rubble.**

 **Contemno was distracted with trying to break through Junior's seemingly impenetrable defense, which allowed Ludwig enough time to free his siblings from their chains. With clever, decisive teamwork and help from Ludwig's teleportation spell, Junior and the Koopalings narrowly managed to escape from Contemno's wrath.**

 **However, Junior, Roy, Larry and Iggy awoke in an uncharted forest to find the other four Koopalings missing. Larry and Roy butted heads over who was to blame for Kammy's death as well as what should be done about their malevolent new foe. With Junior shouldering the blame and Iggy struggling to keep the peace, Roy stormed off seeking vengeance.**

 **Meanwhile, Peach came to terms with her newfound solitude in the aftermath of her own previous battle with Contemno. The princess vowed to master her sleeping powers and defeat the mage in order to reclaim her kingdom, avenge Toadsworth, and carve out a new sense of purpose for herself.**

* * *

"Where are you going!?" Larry shouted after him.

"To do what our so-called king couldn't," Roy answered. "I'm gonna make that psychopath pay for what he did. And I'll do it all on my own if that's what it takes." Without another word, Roy turned and continued walking away. Larry began to give chase, but Iggy grabbed his shoulder; shaking his head.

"Let him go."

"But…Roy…"

"Can be a hothead. I know," Iggy answered. "When he's upset about something, nothing's gonna get through to him." Larry stared at Iggy with fear and frustration in his eyes. "Trust me on this, Larry. I've known him longer than you. He'll cool off. We just need to give him some space."

The pair looked over at Junior, who was curled up in a fetal position on the ground nearby; facing away from them. They could see his body twitching slightly. They knew Junior was crying and resolved not to call him out on it. Iggy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, what happened back there was intense. Let's just…catch our breath for a second," Iggy suggested. His proposal went unchallenged as Junior wept and Larry looked onward after Roy, who was nearly out of sight by now.

Branches swayed ominously in the gust of wind. Junior hugged his legs tightly as tears ran down his cheeks. Larry swallowed his anger towards Roy in favor of consoling Junior, who clearly needed him more at that moment. The Koopaling reached out to place his hand on the Koopa Prince's shoulder.

"Junior…Roy didn't mean-,"

"Yes he did," Junior interrupted. "He's right. This is all my fault…," he admitted between sobs.

"No, it isn't. Don't be so hard on yourself," Iggy suggested. Junior immediately twisted around to look at him.

"WHY NOT!? Everything he said is true! _I'm_ the one who slacked off in my training! I blew it! If I had just trained from the beginning like I was supposed to, I would've been stronger! I could've saved Kammy!"

"You don't know that," said Larry.

"Yes I do!" Junior contested. "My training was to make me a king! Kings are supposed to be strong enough to handle stuff like this, and I'm…not! I'm not strong enough to protect anyone!" Junior leaped to his feet. He began to take off into a sprint.

"So what, you're just going to run away!?" Larry exclaimed. Junior halted in his tracks and wiped his tears away with his arm.

"No…I'll never be that weak again…," Junior replied. The trio fell silent.

"We know," said Iggy at last. "Go on. We'll catch up with you in a bit." Larry's jaw dropped and he sharply glared at his sibling. Junior hesitated for a moment as if he had something more to say. But he resolved to swallow it, and immediately took off running deeper into the woods once again.

"Iggy, what gives!?" Larry objected.

"Simple. Junior's got a bit of hot headed-ness himself. He needs some time to cool off too." Larry crossed his arms.

"Hmph! How do you know he's not just abandoning us again like he did after the exam?" Iggy smiled, which only puzzled Larry further.

"Wasn't it _you_ who asked us to have a little faith in him back then?" Larry paused as he recalled his own words.

 _"We don't need to do a thing," Larry declared. The Koopalings continued to stare at him. "Junior's fine. He'll be back."_

"While we were all losing our heads trying to find him, you were the one who assured us he'd come back to the castle on his own when he was ready, right?" Larry nodded. "Don't tell me you're changing your tune about Junior now."

"I'm not…it's just…"

"Roy's right, Larry. Ya gotta stop babying him. He needs time to figure this out on his own," Iggy explained. "We can't afford to be reckless right now, and Junior knows this too. But we won't be of any help to him if we're always holding his hand all the time, right?" Larry sighed and looked away.

"Right…"

"So let's just be patient and trust our king to come up with something." Larry snickered and forced a slight smile.

"I thought you were a scientist, Iggy. When did you find the time to become this all-knowing guru?" Larry joked.

"I didn't. Unlike the rest of you, I just pay attention to the details," Iggy countered smugly. "Now c'mon. Let's try and find some water."

* * *

Junior ran deeper and deeper into the forest until he nearly felt his heart give out. The Koopa Prince collapsed to his hands and knees and stared at the grass beneath him.

"I can't…do this anymore…," Junior muttered. "I can't…be….so…weak…" Unable to support his weight any longer, Junior's arms gave out and he collapsed head-first to the ground as his sight and hearing faded away into shadow.

In the empty void, Junior heard faint echoes. Foreign sounds drifted closer and closer into his range. Gradually, they became clear.

The sounds were voices.

 _"I can't…do this anymore...,"_ one of the voices spoke. _"I can't be so…helpless."_ Concentrating a bit harder, the Koopa Prince was able to determine that this voice was female.

 _"I know, sweetheart,"_ another voice responded. This new one was male and seemed slightly more familiar to Junior for some reason. _"But you heard the doctor. All we can do is wait and…hope he finds his way back. We have to believe he's strong enough to get through this somehow."_

Junior suddenly felt a startling sensation. Someone or something was touching him.

The Koopa Prince opened his eyes, but nothing came into view. He couldn't see a thing. There was nothing to recognize in this dark abyss.

 _"Please come back to us, kiddo…,"_ the hoarse male voice pleaded. Immediately, Junior was able to pinpoint it. He knew who the voice belonged to. A blurry light cut through the darkness. At last, the Koopa Prince caught a small glimpse of the world in front of him.

It was impossible to make out exactly what Junior was looking at since his eyes were too fatigued to focus, but he identified the source of one of the voices. It was a large, blurry silhouette of green, orange and yellow. There appeared to be horns curving out near the top of the shape.

"Dad…?" Junior uttered before the darkness reclaimed his sight once more.

Junior regained consciousness and plucked himself up and out of the grass. He was still in the forest exactly where he had collapsed earlier. How long had he been out?

There wasn't a soul around. Everything seemed…peaceful. Junior sat up and placed a hand to his chin.

"Another one of those weird dreams…," he pondered aloud. "No… it couldn't have been a dream. Someone touched me and…I actually felt it. That doesn't happen in dreams. What _is_ this?"

The Koopa Prince's head was pounding. He recognized this pain. He had felt this way on the day of his exam – when he first woke up that morning, and again during the exam itself. But what was the reason for this phenomenon? If these were indeed dreams, what did they mean? What was Junior's mind trying to tell him?

Junior shook his head as if to swat the sensation away. He couldn't think about this now. He had far more important things to worry about.

He no longer had a home.

His hands were stained in Kammy's blood.

He had failed his subjects, his father, and his kingdom.

Junior had failed himself.

He had been so selfish all these years. Junior only ever pitied himself and cared for his own well-being. He neglected his royal duties as the heir to the throne, so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to anyone that he fell short in the time when his strength mattered the most.

But…surely it couldn't be helped, right? After all, Bowser himself was just as self-centered and heartless. So it couldn't be that shocking to see that his son turned out the same way.

The Koopa Prince placed his hand over his heart.

Except, Bowser wasn't always so selfish. Despite his commitment to the Kingdom Council for the past decade, Bowser had done everything he could to love and care for Junior over the years beforehand. Junior himself knew this well in his heart. Bowser loved his son with every fiber of his being, and Junior couldn't bring himself to punish his father for that.

Thinking of his father just now reminded Junior of his conversation with Iggy.

 _"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he's just trying to toughen you up for the role?"_

 _"I don't think you're giving Bowser enough credit, Junior. Just because he's not here all the time anymore doesn't mean he's doing it to avoid you. He does care about you. A lot. You should feel grateful that he at least **loves** you."_

 _"Exactly, you at least have your father's support and you don't have to do anything that drastic! So in comparison, is having to do a little hard training without your dad being home all the time to watch you really so terrible?"_

 _"Remember when you were little and you used to tell us all the time how you wanted to be big and strong just like your dad? Don't you still want that?"_

 _"Well, Bowser wasn't just born that way. He had to work for it and get there by himself. Don't you think it's fair that you'd have to do the same?"_

Junior gritted his teeth and choked on the lump in his throat. He barely noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Of course I do…," the Koopa Prince muttered to himself. "Gimme a break, Iggy. Even a dolt like me can't be _that_ blind…"

Or maybe blind was _exactly_ what Junior had been all this time. Suddenly, his mind was bombarded with the recollection of the last exchange he had with Bowser.

 _"I care about you more than anything else in the world, Junior."_

"I know you do…," Junior sobbed.

 _"I know you need me, but you can't rely on me forever. I can't always come to your rescue when you need help. You're growing up, Junior. You need to learn how to pick yourself up when something gets hard and just…muscle through it."_

"Dammit…I heard you the first time…" Junior pounded his fist on the ground.

 _"Ludwig was right."_

"No…"

 _"You aren't ready."_

"Shut up…"

 _"And you know what?"_

…

 _"I doubt you ever will be…"_

"You're wrong…," the Koopa Prince whispered. "YOU HEAR ME!? YOU'RE WRONG! WROOOONG!" he roared at the top of his lungs. Junior climbed to his feet and gazed at the gleaming sun in the horizon.

"You're wrong…and dammit, I'm gonna prove it. I'm gonna find you and make you _eat_ those words!"

Junior took a single step, stumbled slightly, but kept his balance. All of the trembling and twitching from his uncontrollable adrenaline born in that moment made it difficult for Junior to do something as simple as walking. It felt like he was taking his first steps all over again, but with no fatherly arms to walk into this time.

The Koopa Prince took another step, then another. He gradually progressed from a stroll, to a jog, and finally into a sprint. Junior's legs carried him faster and faster; his heart raced and his breaths betrayed him. But Junior couldn't stop. Never again. He vowed to never stop racing forward.

Not until he became the king he was destined to be, and the son that Bowser deserved.

* * *

Junior's marathon came to an end when he spotted a river nearby. Racing over towards it, Junior cupped his hands together and slurped from the stream again and again until his thirst had been quenched and he allowed himself to breathe. The Koopa Prince examined his reflection in the water.

He still saw the same useless, lazy, insecure little child he'd always been, and Junior was absolutely sick of it.

Junior slammed his fist into the water with all his might and splashed the image away. He repeated this several more times. But the same reflection returned each time the water settled. The Koopa Prince groaned and took a seat on the rock behind him.

"What am I supposed to do!?" Junior exclaimed. "Gotta think. I need to get stronger! But how?" He laid back further on the rock and shut his eyes to block out the world for a moment.

"Think…Think…Think…"

Suddenly, he jolted back up when an idea struck him.

"Wait a sec…that's it!" Leaping off the rock, Junior bolted up the hill and used the river as a guide. As he neared the top, a gentle roar penetrated his hearing. At last, his destination came into view.

Junior hurried towards a waterfall nestled between two exceptionally large boulders. The Koopa Prince approached the thin wall of water, and gently cut through it with his hand. The sensation of the constant stream on his scales was hypnotic, yet soothing. Junior's idea was validated by the memory that was fresh in his mind at that moment. He vividly recalled what Ludwig had instructed.

 _"True mastery of the art requires a focused, disciplined mind; one that is not easily enraged, distracted, or manipulated. When you control other elements with an unstable mind, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Your mind must be clear. Otherwise, the destruction can be ruthless and immeasurable."_

"I know you were talking about mental magic, Ludwig," Junior spoke aloud. "But the same's gotta be true for just getting stronger, right?"

The Koopa Prince carefully positioned himself directly under the path of the waterfall. The aquatic bombardment made him shiver at first, but he adjusted after a few moments. Yet…something still bothered him.

Junior looked down and realized that he was still wearing his old bandanna, which was now getting soaked from all of the water. Untying the knot behind his neck, Junior glared at the damp piece of fabric in his hands. For the first time in years, it looked hideous to him.

The mouth drawing was terribly smudged and faded, and it was littered with stains, holes, and other small tears all over. But what disgusted Junior the most at that moment was what the bandanna represented. It was his childhood; the very thing he often sought for refuge in blissful nostalgia. Well, no more. Junior couldn't wallow in his own pity over times that had long since passed.

Suddenly all of the complaints that Bowser, Wendy, and Ludwig had always made about the bandanna made sense to Junior. If he was ever going to change himself, he couldn't rely on this ratty old thing as an emotional crutch for his discomfort with change anymore.

He needed to draw strength from deep within himself.

The Koopa Prince twisted the cloth several times until it was a fraction of its normal size, and then tied the band around his bicep.

It didn't make the immediate, intimidating impression as Bowser and Roy's spiked arm bands, but maybe it didn't have to. Maybe - even just for now - this was a compromise, and a way for Junior to build a new identity of his very own.

Satisfied with the reassignment of his bandanna, Junior returned to the waterfall, eased his way into the center again, and slowly took a seat on a drenched rock as he crossed his legs. Junior shut his eyes and allowed the water to swallow his consciousness.

* * *

Moments later, he opened them to find himself standing on a large, circular platform made entirely of clear glass. This platform seemed to be floating in an empty white void of pure light. There were no indications of boundaries; no markers of the realm's actual size or scope. In here, light seemed to stretch onward in all directions into infinity.

Junior took a few steps across the glass as he scanned his surroundings. This place felt unfamiliar, yet somehow warm and inviting.

"…Where am I?" Junior pondered.

"It cannot be…," a voice whispered in the void. Junior glanced all around, but couldn't find a soul to attach it to.

"Huh? Is someone there?" Junior called out.

"So it is. You are indeed another pure light; drifting aimlessly through the shadows of our despair," the voice continued. Junior scratched his head.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Junior asked.

"Forgive me, young one. I'm simply overjoyed that your heart has reached mine. Clarity eludes me in the moment. But I wish not to lose our connection."

"Uhhh…you mind putting that in English for me?"

"Haven't you seen it? Our world has fallen to darkness. But just when I thought all hope was lost, your heart connected with mine."

"My…heart?" Junior repeated as he placed his hand to his chest.

"It is our mental magic that has brought us together here. I did not think there was anyone left who possessed the power to reach this place."

"Mental magic…? Oh! The waterfall!" Junior replied. "So, we're talking through mental magic?"

"Correct. It is an art form many believed to have gone extinct," the voice replied. "Why, even _I_ was convinced that I was the last of my kind to practice the skill. Tell me, young one, who taught you to use mental magic?"

"Uhh…my brother, Ludwig," the Koopa Prince answered. "Do you know him?"

"Alas, I do not," the voice denied. "But he has my gratitude for instilling the power in you. Tell me, how might I repay this blessing?" Junior placed a claw to his chin.

"Well, maybe you can help me figure all this out," Junior suggested. "So, are you a real person, like me? Do you live in the real world?"

"I am indeed real. I have devoted myself to meditation ever since darkness blanketed our world."

"You keep mentioning this 'darkness,'" Junior pointed out. "What does that mean? What's going on?"

"I am perplexed as to how you have managed to elude it for so long," the voice replied. "A terrible monster has invaded our land. He hides his face behind a mask, and he has sought to claim our world for himself." The fog of confusion that clouded Junior's mind was beginning to fade.

"This monster…is his name 'Contemno?'"

"Ah, so you have encountered this menace?" Junior rubbed his arm and his eyes fell.

"Yeah…he took my castle and…killed someone I loved…," Junior explained solemnly.

"My condolences, young one. You do not suffer alone. Contemno has brought pain to people all over the world."

"But who is he? What does he want? I mean, I get the whole 'taking over the world' part. Believe me, that part kinda runs in my family too. But why does he want to do all of this?"

"I am unsure of these answers myself…," the voice confessed. "I have attempted to reach Contemno's heart through mental magic just as our hearts have done now. But he conceals much of his identity and thoughts in obscurity. He has closed his heart and mind out from the reach of others. Perhaps there is much about him that Contemno does not want us to know." Junior crossed his arms.

"Yeah? Well, tough," Junior replied. "That freak made things personal, and I need to take him down. But right now I have no idea what I'm really up against here. Isn't there any way you can help me?"

"Unfortunately, there is little aid I can offer you here in the Realm of Refuge," the voice answered.

"'Realm of Refuge?' You mean…this weird white place that I'm standing in right now?"

"Yes. This is a domain exclusive to those who can reach it with mental magic. It is a safe haven for magic users; detached from the physical world. The only way to enter is with careful concentration and clarity of the mind," the voice described.

"So when I meditate, I can come back here?" Junior proposed.

"Certainly. But the Realm of Refuge operates under certain principles that you must obey."

"Like what?"

"First, there must be another soul waiting in the Realm of Refuge before you can enter. If you are attempting to come alone, this place will be lost to you. Therefore, careful preparations between you and another person must be made first if you seek to return here." Junior nodded.

"Okay…I think I understand," he replied.

"Next, we must leave our physical bodies behind in the mortal world when we enter the Realm of Refuge," the voice continued. "As you might imagine, there are certain risks etched within this truth. I sense that your powers are still developing, young one. So, I urge you not to use your newfound power carelessly. If you seek to enter the Realm of Refuge, you must first ensure that your physical body will be left in a safe place where it will not be disturbed or harmed. If anything should happen to your physical body while you are here in the Realm of Refuge, the consequences could be fatal." Junior gulped.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"There is much more I wish to relay to you. But the distance between our bodies in the physical world weakens our connection. I have been meditating for far too long and must return to my body, so our time together is quickly expiring," said the voice. "We should leave this place now. When you return to your body, seek me out, young one. I believe I may be able to assist you in your quest to stop Contemno once we have met face to face."

Suddenly, Junior felt a strange sensation. He looked around, but he was all alone on his platform. He could have sworn he'd felt someone touching him and calling his name.

Before he could ask the voice about this phenomenon, Junior felt the invisible touch again, but with slightly more force this time. Was someone trying to reach him from back in the real world?

"Wait, hold on!" Junior exclaimed. "How do I find you? You never told me who you are!"

"My name is Merlon. Follow the stars and you will reach my home. I dwell at the point where the Mushroom Kingdom and Star Haven converge."

"Huh…alright. I'll give it a try. Thanks, Merlon," said Junior.

"Make haste, young one. Hope for our world dwindles with each passing day. Contemno must be stopped before it is too late." Junior closed his eyes once more.

* * *

"Junior…?" Larry called. The Koopa Prince gave no response. Larry nudged his shoulder slightly.

"Junior," Larry repeated. Still nothing. Junior appeared to be in such a deep trance that he almost looked as though he were asleep.

"Junior!" Larry exclaimed as he shook Junior's shoulder with more force. The Koopa Prince opened his eyes. He was back in the real world and still submerged underneath the waterfall despite his senses having returned.

"What? Did _you_ forget to blame me for Kammy's death too?" Junior replied bitterly at last.

"What? No, I…," the Koopaling started; he was shocked at how brutally blunt Junior was being for someone who looked so composed seconds ago. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm meditating," the Koopa Prince answered.

"Is now really the best time for that?" Junior glared at Larry.

"Iggy said we should take some time to catch our breath. So I'm trying to clear my mind like Ludwig taught me," Junior explained. "I know I'm not rushing off to fight Contemno like Roy wants, but I figured I'd be a helluva lot more productive doing this than laying around crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself."

Larry and Iggy were utterly speechless as they stood by in shock. They instantly remembered their last training session with Junior and how Ludwig had taught him to use water as a means of focusing his mind in order to harness mental magic.

Neither of them could believe that Junior was actively putting his training to good use on his own like this; and especially now of all times. His maturity in this moment knew no bounds. It was a night and day difference compared to how Junior had been acting as recently as the day before. Was this really the same Junior?

"Well, how are you feeling? Is it working?" Iggy asked. Junior stood up and stepped out from underneath the water stream; soaking wet, but utterly unfazed by it.

"Yeah, it worked. I know what we're going to do next," Junior proposed confidently as he walked right past the pair.

"And…what would that be?" Larry asked. Junior turned back to face him.

"Isn't it obvious? We're gonna take down that psychopath." Larry and Iggy continued to stare at Junior.

"But we're gonna do it _my_ way."

"Sounds good but…what exactly does that look like?" Iggy inquired. Junior stopped walking abruptly and turned back to face the duo; wearing a determined, albeit slightly annoyed expression.

"I'll explain on the way. But we need to get moving," Junior answered. Shrugging simultaneously, Larry and Iggy hurried after him.

* * *

Contemno finished adjusting his replacement mask over his face as the Broodals hastily barged into the ruined throne room of Bowser's castle.

"Boss! Boss! We hoid what happened and came runnin'!" Topper expressed between breaths. "Yous okay!?"

"Yes," Contemno answered. "I lost my composure admittedly, but it hardly matters. Bowser's cowardly son wasn't exactly threatening."

"Did ya at least captcha him?" Harriet asked. Contemno released a small sigh of regret.

"No, he escaped with the help of some of his underlings," the mage described. "Regardless, it does not change what we're going to do."

"A-Are ya sure, boss?" Rango chimed in. "When ya told us ta take care of ol' Mario and Bowsa and dat otha girl, ya made it pretty clear that we can't 'flip any rocks' or somethin' like that."

"My exact words were to leave 'no stone unturned,'" Contemno corrected. "But the prince is the exception. Unlike Mario, Bowser, Peach, Rosalina, or anyone else we've dealt with, the child possesses no power. This I now know for certain. I've looked into his eyes. His fear runs far too deep for him to ever challenge me. But I had to test him first if I was to ever know this for certain."

"If he's really that weak, then wiping him out shouldn't be hard," a female voice inserted. The inhabitants of the room collectively glanced over at her.

To Contemno's side stood a curvaceous young woman in a black, elegant evening gown with her bare, tender shoulders left exposed. The woman brushed a lock of her honey-blonde hair behind her ear and smirked. Topper blushed and removed his cap when he found himself in the presence of such an attractive woman.

"W-well _hello_ dere, sweet cheeks!" the rabbit began with a whistle. "Just what cloud in heaven did _yous_ ride down from?" Harriet slugged her leader in the back of the head and glared at him. Topper smiled back at her sheepishly.

"Now who's _dis_ broad!?" Spewart exclaimed.

"This is Eris," Contemno introduced. "She's my accomplice from the Rain Kingdom."

"Uh-huh…and just when were you plannin' on tellin _us_ about 'er?" Rango asked.

"That's hardly important," the mage replied. Eris nodded.

"As I was saying, why not just kill off the toddler before he fully learns how to walk?"

"Even a wounded rat can still scurry," Contemno answered. "Junior may be weak, but as long as he can run away and hide behind the Koopalings or anyone else for that matter, killing him will be difficult."

"Then we'll just need to act with precision," Eris replied. She strolled over to Contemno and massaged his shoulders. "Why not send someone who can wipe the lot of them off the map in one fell swoop?"

"Y-yeah! Like _us_!" Topper agreed. Eris shot him an icy stare.

"No. I need you here," Contemno denied as he snapped his finger. Suddenly, a large purple bubble appeared in front of them containing an unconscious Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy inside.

"Aww, ya gotta be kiddin' me! Guard duty!?" Spewart complained.

"Take them to the dungeon and prepare them for the next phase," Contemno instructed. The Broodals groaned and exchanged disappointed glances with one another.

"NOW, YOU SIMPLETONS!" Contemno roared. Terrified, Spewart and Rango lifted the bubble and hurried out of the room with Topper and Harriet rushing close behind.

The mage sighed, shook his head and began his own departure. He stopped when he felt Eris wrap her arms around him.

"My goodness. You must be exhausted," she commented soothingly.

"Well…I didn't expect I'd have to _kill_ my master _and_ her colleague today. Nor did I anticipate that those stooges would stand in my way of getting to Junior. Regardless, there is still much to be done. I must get to work on summoning-"

"Leave that to me," Eris interjected as her warm breath wafted across Contemno's mask. "Rest. You've suffered far too much today."

"My entire _life_ has been nothing but suffering. Or have you forgotten that?"

"I haven't forgotten, Contemno. Just as you should never forget _I_ am here for you." Eris loosened Contemno's mask and gave him a tender kiss. "The only way we'll win, is together. Or have _you_ forgotten?"

"Never…," Contemno whispered. Eris smirked.

"Good, then go rest up. I'll make preparations to send Prince Junior our little gift," Eris promised with a wink. Contemno turned back to face her one last time before exiting.

"After that, be a dear and check on how our prisoner back home is doing, will you? I'd hate to think what might happen if he and Maldeon were to meet," Contemno requested.

"Consider it done."


	15. Maldeon

**Author's Note:**

 _Hey, guys! Sorry about the delay! I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but some stuff came up and I just wasn't able to finish it until now. The next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long though. I hope this was worth the wait!_

 **RECAP:**

 **Utterly dissatisfied with his failure to become the protector his kingdom needed, Junior resolved to find and develop his own inner strength so that he might soon face Contemno again. After parting ways temporarily with Larry and Iggy, Junior came across a waterfall deep in the heart of the forest.**

 **The prince used meditation as a means of finding the answers he needed in order to get stronger. Through clarity of the mind, Junior reached a mysterious domain known as the Realm of Refuge – a safe haven for mental magic users. Here, Junior met a mysterious voice later known as Merlon. Merlon urged Junior to seek him out in the real world so that he might aid the prince in his quest.**

 **Elsewhere, Contemno and his accomplice Eris resolved to launch another attack against Junior and his siblings in order to eliminate them before they can develop into a real threat.**

 **But just before departing, Contemno had one other request for his accomplice. He warned Eris of the danger that might unfold should Maldeon and a certain prisoner ever meet…**

* * *

 ** _A few days earlier…_**

 _"Ah, you're awake at last," Contemno greeted._

 _The man resting atop the examination table gazed upon Contemno with weary, dumbfounded eyes. The man looked as though he were dying to say something, but couldn't find the strength. Contemno reached for a small mason jar on the tray nearby. He stirred the red liquid inside a few times for good measure and presented it to his patient._

 _"Drink this," Contemno instructed. "It will help stabilize your condition." Too weak to say anything or do otherwise, the man accepted the drink as it was fed to him. After several gulps, the man erupted into a coughing fit. He settled down after a moment or so, and Contemno stood by; patiently waiting for him to finish, as if he knew this would happen._

 _"Where…am I…?" the man spoke at last in a low, raspy voice._

 _"Your sanctuary," Contemno answered._

 _"S-sanctuary?" the man repeated. Contemno nodded._

 _"That was quite the accident you had. You should count yourself lucky to be alive."_

 _"W-what…what accident?"_

 _"I saw your ship falling out of the sky in the outskirts of town. We rushed to the scene as quickly as we could," Contemno began. "After you were pulled from the wreckage, we brought you back here." The man examined his body. His arms, legs, and forehead were all wrapped in bandages._

 _"Everything…hurts…," the man spoke._

 _"That's no surprise," Contemno commented. "You have been through quite a harrowing experience. Tell me, how much do you remember of what happened?"_

 _"Nothing. Nothing at all…"_

 _"I see…That's unfortunate. However, I don't want you to worry." The man stared blankly at the mage. "My serum has sped up your recovery tremendously. I imagine your burns should be completely healed within a few days' time. The soreness should wear off relatively soon as well."_

 _"And my memory…?"_

 _"There's little I can do about that, I'm afraid," Contemno confessed. "However, you are more than welcome to stay here until you have fully recovered. I'm certain I can find something for you to do while you wait for your memory to return."_

 _"Okay...sure. I guess I owe you one for…saving my life," the man agreed. "What do you need me to do?"_

 _"All in due time, my boy. For now, you must rest. Let me escort you to your room."_

 _"Gee, thanks..uhhh…," the man started as he climbed down off the table. Contemno looked back at him._

 _"You may call me Contemno." The man nodded._

 _"I guess this is the part where I give you my name but…I can't remember it for some reason," the man confessed with a small chuckle._

 _"Not to worry. For the time being, I will call you…Maldeon."_

* * *

Maldeon slowly awoke to the gentle pattering of rain against the enormous glass window behind him. It looked to be yet another overcast day in the Rain Kingdom. In the few days he'd been here, Maldeon gathered that the kingdom must've been named for its obnoxiously predictable weather patterns. But that was about all that he could understand. The man reached over and touched the small scar on his forearm.

For someone who had allegedly been burned within an inch of his life in some kind of crash, Maldeon had made a miraculous recovery. He had hardly any burns, cuts or bruises to speak of. The ones he apparently had when he was found had vanished in record time. All except for the scar on his arm. Maldeon had no recollection of where this came from.

The answers he sought had to lie with his mysterious host: Contemno. Who was this man? How did he come to Maldeon's aide so quickly? What were the secrets behind his medical techniques? Most important of all, what plans did he have for Maldeon himself now that the latter was here in the Rain Kingdom? The man in the mask had barely said two words to Maldeon after he was first released from that examination room.

Maldeon dressed in his beige brown business suit with matching trench coat, gloves, and dress shoes. Underneath it, he dawned a white undershirt and striking red tie. He made his way for the door, then stopped.

"Oh…almost forgot…"

Approaching the dresser, Maldeon reached for the small red cloth resting atop it. He froze when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. The man examined his bushy mustache and large nose. There was an immense sadness festering in his sapphire eyes. Today was the final day he would drift in obscurity. It had to be.

Today was the day Maldeon would learn his true purpose for being here, no matter the cost. He intended to confront Contemno for answers, and Maldeon refused take "no" for an answer. The man gripped the red cloth tightly in his hand. He had played by Contemno's rules for the past several days, but he didn't intend to keep up this blind, helpless guest façade forever. The man rushed out the door in a hurry. He couldn't keep destiny waiting.

* * *

Bowser was violently thrust down onto the cold, concrete floor. He staggered up and rested on his knees as the rattling of his shackles and chains rang through the air. Bowser gritted his teeth and glared at the one standing before him.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen…," taunted Contemno.

"… You! Who the hell are you!? What's going on!?" Bowser roared.

"You don't remember me? I must admit I'm shocked," Contemno replied. The Koopa King's eyebrows rose slightly.

"…Remember? What are you talking about!? I've never seen you before in my life!" said Bowser. He wracked his brain but honestly couldn't recall a single detail about the masked man standing before him.

"Hmmm…perhaps _this_ will enlighten you." A magic chain materialized from Contemno's hand and wrapped itself around Bowser's neck. The Koopa King panicked as his breaths were gradually cut off.

"Aaack! Y-you…!" Bowser stammered. Contemno closed his hand and tightened the chain's grip slightly. Bowser gasped for air as he floundered around on the floor at Contemno's feet.

"That's right. I'm the one who nearly stole your life all those years ago," Contemno explained. Bowser's eyes widened. It was all coming back to him now…that terrible day when he lost everything; his freedom; his dignity; his purpose.

The mage violently yanked at the collar around Bowser's neck and forced his captive to gaze into the empty eye sockets of his mask.

"I want you to _burn_ the image of my face into your memory forever," Contemno instructed maliciously. "From now until the end of time, I want you to always remember the one who _owns_ you." With bloodshot eyes and a face that was quickly turning blue, Bowser…smirked. Contemno hesitated.

"…Get….bent…," Bowser retorted. With all his might, Bowser swung his fist towards Contemno. A purple wall appeared just in time to stop Bowser's punch in its tracks. The chain disappeared as Bowser regained his breath.

Suddenly, Contemno leaped into the air just above Bowser. The Koopa King's eyes were barely able to keep up. As the mage fell back down towards him, something new materialized in his glove.

Before Bowser could get a good look, Contemno landed atop his shoulders and jammed something aggressively into the side of Bowser's neck. A sharp, stinging sensation radiated throughout Bowser's entire body as he roared in anguish. He became disoriented as the room around him began to spin. Finally, Bowser collapsed to the floor. His eyes met Contemno's mask once more.

"The first thing you need to learn is respect," said the mage. "This is my world now, and _I_ will be the one to decide if you are still fit to live in it." Bowser struggled to respond as he desperately reached his hand out towards his opponent. "Sleep tight."

Just as Bowser slipped into unconsciousness, Eris entered the throne room.

"Guards, take this one to the holding cell," Contemno instructed. The two soldiers – who had just watched this scene unfold – acquiesced without a word.

"That injection was lethal, I hope," Eris commented. Contemno stared at the used syringe in his glove.

"No, just a tranquilizer for now," Contemno responded. The woman crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Contemno…you won't get anywhere if you're exercising mercy. Surely you realize this."

"Of course, but this one is different. He'll make for an ideal test subject. If I am to make the best possible use of my serum in this conquest, I need to know everything that I can possibly do with it; every action; every reaction; every side effect; in turn, every conceivable option available to me. Bowser will be a perfect testing ground as he has a body that can withstand torture unlike any other," Contemno described.

"If you ask me, it seems like a waste of time to fiddle around with your enemies. They're better off dead and out of the way," Eris reasoned. "If you want new toys to play with, let's round up some civilians to pump your serum with instead." Contemno shook his head.

"My dear, innovation has never been born without taking some risks. Trust me." Eris smirked.

"Fair enough. I just hope for your sake, you know what you're doing," she warned.

"Your concern is appreciated, though unnecessary," Contemno assured. "I've waited my entire life to put these fools in their proper places. But I must take precautions to ensure my victory; no matter what challenges may come my way."

"Where are you off to now?" Eris asked as Contemno passed her on his way to the doors.

"I'm departing for the Mushroom Kingdom. I have a date with the fair princess herself."

"Is there anything you need from me in the meantime?"

"I believe Maldeon is ready to begin working for me starting today. Do make sure he is brought up to speed. I assume you are familiar with the necessary protocol?"

"Naturally."

"Why not save Eris the trouble and fill me in by yourself, Contemno?" a voice spoke. Eris and Contemno looked over. Standing in the doorway was Maldeon with his arms crossed.

"Maldeon. How long have you been standing there?"

"Just got here. It's time we talked."

"I must say I'm not a fan of this rather aggressive tone of your's," Contemno advised ominously.

"And I'm not a fan of your methods," Maldeon countered.

"My boy, you cannot expect me to ever be of any assistance to you if you insist on keeping up this wall between us. Whatever you must say, come right out and say it." Maldeon chuckled.

"That's funny, coming from the guy in a mask and cloak. You're telling _me_ not to keep any secrets, yet you're holding me captive here against my will and won't tell me why!"

"Do you see any shackles on your wrists? Any bars on your window?" Contemno asked. "You mistake my hospitality for a prison sentence. There's nothing holding you here. Yet here you've stayed for the past several days. Perhaps it is _you_ who has something to reveal." Maldeon gritted his teeth.

"What's there to tell? I can't remember anything. Not a single thing about my past or who I am. I don't even remember my real name!" Maldeon exclaimed. Contemno approached him and gently gripped his forearms.

"You're quite right. Yet, you expect me to simply toss you out onto the streets in such a condition?" Madleon's eyes fell. "I brought you in because you were hurt and you would have died in that fire if I had not done anything. I gave you a roof over your head to provide you with stability, and a name to give you a sense of purpose in this troubling time of your life."

"I know…but now I have a debt to repay to you. If you won't let me do that, then how am I supposed to feel anything other than trapped?" Maldeon asked.

"Making you feel trapped here was never my intention, and you're welcome to leave whenever you like. I never expected repayment. I saved your life because it was within my power to do so. Nothing more. You could walk right out the front door today and I wouldn't stop you. But if you were to leave, where might you go?"

"I dunno…out _there_ I guess. I need to remember who I really am. I just can't shake this feeling that there's something terrible that I'm forgetting."

"Then you must ask yourself how important your old memories really are. Are they really worth searching aimlessly for? You haven't a clue where to look or who to ask; no leads to go on. Why waste time wandering around blindly like that?" Contemno continued.

"Because…I…," Maldeon started before trailing off.

"Realize that while you have the freedom to leave, Maldeon, that does not mean you must take it. I'm also giving you an opportunity to stay here and start over; to leave the past behind and build a _new_ life. All you have to do is reach out and take it."

"But you don't know any more about me than I do. How can you trust me? Why would you go so far for me? What exactly are you offering me here?" Maldeon interrogated. His eyes met Contemno's mask.

"I had to leave my _own_ past behind to become the man I am today," the mage answered. "It isn't an easy decision to make, but at times it's what must be done. I recognize that you are in just the same situation as I once was. I offer you guidance."

"Why's that? What happened to _you_?" Maldeon probed.

"That's not important, my boy," Contemno denied. "All you should concern yourself with now is the decision you must make. Are you willing to let go of the past, or will you chase aimlessly after it?" Maldeon hesitated. He looked over at Eris, who was glaring right back at him. The man returned his attention to Contemno and sighed.

"Well, it doesn't make much sense to leave now. I guess I could stick around here a little longer. At least until I remember something..."

"A wise decision," Contemno praised.

* * *

Eris led Maldeon down a damp, decrepit corridor with pockets of light dispersed throughout from the dying light fixtures above. The hallway was so narrow that Maldeon was forced to walk directly behind Eris as the walls sandwiched him in place from both sides. So far, Eris hadn't said two words to Maldeon since Contemno passed him off into her custody a few minutes earlier.

Much like his mysterious caretaker, Maldeon couldn't get a reading on her either. From the rare occasions where their eyes had met before, the woman didn't seem too thrilled to have Maldeon here for some reason. She never had anything more than an icy glare to offer him.

"So, Contemno made it sound like I might have some 'grand role' to play here," said Maldeon. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"You'll be looking after our 'guest,'" Eris answered.

"'Guest'…?" Maldeon repeated.

"His room is coming up. Do you remember where the dining parlor is?"

"Sure, it's where I've had all my meals the past few days."

"Starting tonight, there will be a second tray on the table for every meal. You are to bring that tray to our guest to make sure he eats."

"Why does this guy need someone bringing all of his meals to him? Why doesn't he have the same freedom to move around the building as we do?"

"He and Contemno are not exactly on trusting terms with one another. So for the time being, he needs to remain down here. We need _you_ to deliver his meals because our guest would rather starve to death than eat anything he thinks Contemno made. We can't have that. Contemno needs him alive, so _you_ have to make certain that this guy doesn't keel over on us."

"O…kay…?" Maldeon agreed hesitantly. "Sounds easy enough." Suddenly, Eris stopped.

"But before we reach his door here in a moment, there are some guidelines you have to follow," Eris warned.

"Name 'em," Maldeon replied.

"The first and most obvious one, don't let the guy out of his cell under any circumstances."

"…Seriously?" You really think I'd be dumb enough to-"

"I don't care if you're gullible enough to get tricked into letting him out, or he breaks the door down himself. You are to keep him down here at all costs. Is that clear?" Maldeon nodded.

"Next, don't ever make eye contact with him. None whatsoever. Don't look at him, and don't let him see you. We're expecting you to wear that blindfold at all times whenever you come down here just to avoid the temptation." Maldeon fished the red cloth out of his coat pocket and stared at it. "Temptation" seemed like a weird way to put it…

"And what happens if he _does_ catch a glimpse of me?" Maldeon inquired.

"…He'll kill you."

"Hehe…so, no pressure then," Maldeon commented sarcastically to squelch any visible fear. Eris smirked ever so slightly at that. "How long do you expect me to keep this up for?"

"Until Contemno decides that we're through with him. So get used to doing it for a while," said Eris.

"I understand. Anything else I should know about this guy?" Maldeon asked as he adjusted the blindfold over his eyes.

"Don't make conversation with our guest. You'll only be inviting him to try and get under your skin so you'll eventually let him out. For your safety, just drop the food off, slide it under the door, and leave without saying so much as two words to the guy," Eris explained.

"Can I just ask one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"Keeping this guy alive but contained seems like an important task. Why would you guys entrust it to me; someone whom you barely know anything about?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid. You're useful, but you're not important. Keeping our guest locked up is a risk. Someone's gotta look after him, but we can't afford to lose anyone important over it. So that's why we're tasking _you_ with this job. If you die, then hardly anything of value was lost," Eris explained coldly.

Maldeon didn't gather that this explanation was supposed to motivate him to do the job well in any way. It seemed fitting that Eris of all people was the one to drop such a bomb on Maldeon. She never gave any impression that she saw value in him. But at least she was honest about it. Unlike Contemno, Maldeon didn't have much trouble piecing together Eris's true feelings now.

Bowser's eyes cracked open ever so slightly. From within his dark, cramped prison cell, the sound of footsteps was faint, yet still apparent to him. The Koopa King used every remaining ounce of his consciousness to listen silently and try to anticipate what was coming next. He could barely make out the sound of someone talking, but it wasn't until the person drew near his door that he could make out what was being said.

"So who is he anyway?" One of the voices spoke.

"Frankly, I couldn't care less who he is. He's just a means to an end for Contemno."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question…" Suddenly, Bowser heard a loud thump. He gathered that someone was aggressively being shoved against the wall.

"You've got a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and three square meals a day! Show a little gratitude and don't look a gift horse in the mouth with your ridiculous, prying questions! If you can't, I'm sure we can make room in that cell for you too!"

Bowser began to crawl over towards the door across the room, but he stumbled and collapsed. Whatever garbage that guy in the mask had pumped him with before was starting to kick in again as Bowser slipped back into a deep slumber.

* * *

Maldeon strolled down the hallway later that evening, carrying the second dinner tray for the mysterious guest he was expected to feed. The man's mind had been racing all afternoon. Was this job worth keeping? For how long? The job itself wasn't especially difficult, and without his memory, Maldeon didn't have any reason to leave. Yet, Eris had made it abundantly clear that Maldeon was not valued or even welcomed here.

So why should Maldeon play by their rules? What should he do then?

What _could_ he do? Without any clues about where he was from or what his past life was like, Maldeon had nowhere to go. He was trapped here, despite the thin illusion of freedom his host wished to cast over him.

Regardless, it just made sense to stick it out here until Maldeon could come up with something better. For now, he would play by the rules.

The man reached the prisoner's flimsy, rusted old door. How this thing could hold anyone inside was up to interpretation. There was a small flap near the bottom of the door that swung inward and out; vaguely resembling a dog door. This slot was just big enough to slide the food tray through it and into the holding cell inside, but far too small for anyone to think of crawling through it to escape.

There was an eerie silence in the air, aside from the faint shuffling coming from inside the prison cell. At least the prisoner was still alive. But if he refused to say anything, Maldeon saw no reason to speak himself. So, he tied the blindfold over his eyes, slid the tray under the door quickly, then turned and began to walk away.

He stopped when her heard the sound of the tray being pushed right back through the flap. The man turned around, lifted his blindfold, and saw the tray completely untouched.

Did he just…reject it?

Maldeon slid the tray back through the flap once more. Immediately, the food came crashing back into the hall again with twice as much force as before. This time it collided with the wall; the glass of milk tumbling over and spilling.

Angry, Maldeon shoved the food tray through the door yet again.

"HEY BOZO, TAKE A HINT, WILL YA!?" A deep voice roared from inside the cell. The food tray rocketed back through the door and crashed into the wall. Maldeon clenched his fists, but took a deep breath. This wasn't worth getting worked up over. After all, what point was there in taking any pride in this job after what Eris said?

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're thinking," Maldeon answered calmly at last.

"That's _not_ what I was thinking. But even so, I'm not eating this crap. Take it back," the prisoner replied.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger, pal," Maldeon argued. "I may be the one person around here who shows you any degree of mercy. Maybe you should show me a little respect."

"Respect!? Ha!" the prisoner chortled. "You can take your 'respect' and shove it! I won't be sticking around here nearly long enough to ever rely on _you_ , chump!"

"So, what? You'd rather starve to death then? You've gotta be hungry by now. When were you put in here? It's gotta have been at least a day since you ate something. Quit starving yourself, idiot!" Maldeon reasoned.

"That's just what Contemno wants," said the prisoner. Maldeon fell silent. How did this guy know that? "If that guy really wanted me dead, I wouldn't be sitting here right now talking to you, would I?"

"I…I guess not. But-"

"I know he's trying to keep me alive for something. But I'm not playing his little game, got it? I don't know how you got stuck with doing Contemno's dirty work, and I couldn't care less," the prisoner continued. "But I suggest you find yourself another gig, pal. Because I won't be cooped up in here for long."

"That's the second time you've threatened to escape," Maldeon pointed out. "Just how do you plan on doing that?" The prisoner was silent for a moment. Maldeon couldn't determine if he'd just cornered his combatant in this little debate, or if he had just walked into some kind of verbal trap.

"…Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to just tell you how I plan to bust out of here!?" the prisoner replied.

 _Yup…it was a trap…_ Maldeon said to himself.

"I'm ditching this joint one way or another! Count on it! As for eating, that's the one thing you managed to get right here so far. I'll admit, I _am_ hungry. But I plan to get some _real_ food on my way out, and I'm not gonna let some pesky errand boy get in my way!"

"'Pesky…?'" Maldeon repeated. For some reason, that word stood out to him. It was as if a switch had just been flipped in his head suddenly. In fact, Maldeon was scolding himself for just now realizing that this voice sounded oddly familiar. It was as if Maldeon had heard this guy use the term "pesky" before. If only he could remember when…

"You…," Maldeon started.

"Huh? Are you _still_ there!? Hit the road, tiny!" the prisoner ordered.

"What's your name?" Maldeon inquired; completely ignoring the prisoner's empty threats at this point.

"W-wha? Why on earth would I tell you that!?"

"Does it matter? I mean, it's not like knowing your name is going to help me stop you from escaping in any way."

"W-well…y-yeah! But…if you don't already know who I am, then you're not someone who _deserves_ to know my name!" Maldeon could tell this guy was starting to break down. That last statement made absolutely no sense. The tides were finally turning in Maldeon's favor.

"What is it?" Maldeon bluntly asked again.

"…So you do have a bit of a backbone, huh? Alright, fine. I'll tell ya," the prisoner agreed. The voice was growing more and more familiar by the second. The name was practically on the tip of Maldeon's tongue.

"Bowser."

"…Bowser?" Maldeon repeated.

"Yeah, that's my name. Keep up, you dunce!" It was no good. The name itself sounded familiar, but Maldeon just couldn't remember why. The man needed more pieces to put this puzzle together before he would start to see the bigger picture.

"Thanks…Bowser," said Maldeon. "I'll be back in the morning with your breakfast."

"…Huh?" Bowser responded, utterly confused.

"If you really plan on getting out of here somehow, then trust me, I won't stop you." Bowser grew silent. "They don't value me nearly enough here for me to even bother trying to put up an actual fight with you."

"What's your angle?" Bowser asked.

"Hopefully the chef will whip up something with protein to help you build up your strength. If your bite is half as big as your bark, then punching through this door should be a cinch with the right nourishment…," Maldeon explained.

"Uhh…say what!? D-don't try to flip this around! I'm not falling for it!" Bowser argued. Maldeon smirked as he turned to walk away.

"Heh…see you tomorrow, Bowser," Maldeon chuckled as he strolled down the hall. It looked as though Maldeon had found something useful to do after all.


	16. Those Who Fight Together

**RECAP:**

 **In the aftermath of a mysterious crash, Contemno rescued a man from certain death. After being nursed back to health, the man was given the name Maldeon. Maldeon grew restless during his recuperation. He had no memory of who he was or why Contemno was allowing him to stay here in this tower in the Rain Kingdom.**

 **Before long, Maldeon was tasked by Contemno and Eris to watch over Bowser - the prisoner who was being kept in a cell in the building's basement and ensure he ate to stay alive. Feeling undervalued, Maldeon disobeyed Eris's orders and began conversing with Bowser. There was something familiar about him, but Maldeon couldn't determine why. Yet, his curiosity was piqued.**

 **Meanwhile, Eris departed with a special gift in tow for Junior and company.**

* * *

Eris hopped from tree to tree. She was growing sick of this aimless searching. There was no need for her to pinpoint Junior's exact location anyway. Her secret weapon was more than capable of leveling this entire forest, regardless of where the brat was hiding. She folded her arms under her breasts and leaned back against the tree trunk.

"If this kid is good at anything, it's hiding…," Eris complained. "Oh well, I suppose it would be best if I leave the rest up to _you_ , big guy." The woman snapped her finger as the monstrosity towered over her.

* * *

Peach strolled down the winding forest path. Her bare feet ached and she was scolding herself now for getting rid of her shoes earlier. Still, it couldn't exactly be helped. Now more than ever, Peach desperately wished for some kind of sign of where she was in this winding maze of green. Was she even heading in the right direction towards any kind of civilization?

Peach wiped the sweat from her brow, then froze when she heard something unsettling. In the far-off distance, a high-pitched shriek rang out through the air. Someone was screaming; someone was in trouble. Peach immediately picked up the pace as she sprinted in the direction of the sound.

* * *

"So…let me see if I've got this straight," Iggy began as the trio continued walking. "We're going to some star mountain because when you were sitting under that waterfall, a magical voice in your head told you how to beat Contemno?"

"Well, it sounds stupid when you put it _that_ way," Junior contested.

"The word I was going for was 'illogical.' I'm a scientist, Junior. I've always been skeptical about magic. You know that."

"Would it help if I told you this voice had a name? We're going to find Merlon. So, he's a real person at least."

"Doesn't do much for me, I'm afraid." Junior folded his arms behind his head.

"Whatever. All I know is, now we've got this in the bag. That Contemno loser is going down!"

"Hold up, you never bothered to fill us in on _how_ we're gonna do that," said Larry. "If this Merlon guy told you how to beat Contemno, what did he say? What are we supposed to do?" Junior stopped in his tracks.

"Well…he didn't exactly say _how_ to beat Contemno. He just said he can help…," said Junior. Iggy slapped a palm to his face.

"Well, that's a pretty big difference. Did he say anything more reassuring than that?" Iggy asked.

"Not really. He said his powers were fading or…something like that, and we have to meet in person." Larry sighed.

"Well…it's a start, I guess. But do you even know where we're going?" asked Larry. Junior crossed his arms and closed his eyes to concentrate.

"Uhhh…let's see…," Junior started.

"Don't tell me you've _already_ forgotten what he told you…," said Iggy.

"N-no…I didn't," Junior replied. "It's just…a little hard to remember," Larry and Iggy simultaneously groaned. "Hey! Cut me some slack! I've never been to this place before so the name didn't exactly stick with me all that well. Just…gimme a sec to think!"

"You said it was 'star' something, right?" said Iggy.

"It's not Star Haven, is it? Haven't you been there before?" asked Larry.

"Yeah, but that's the place where those stuffy star people live," said Junior. "I'm pretty sure that's not what Merlon said. He said it was between the Mushroom Kingdom and Star Haven."

"Maybe we oughta ask Mario or the princess then," Larry offered. "They live around there. Maybe they'll know the place you're talking about." Junior gritted his teeth.

"…N-no! No way!" Junior stammered. "W-we can find it ourselves! C'mon! Let's get moving!" Before Larry or Iggy could comment on Junior's sudden panic-stricken nature, a terrible scream pierced through the stillness of the moment.

"What was that!?" Larry exclaimed.

"It came from over there! Let's go!" Iggy motioned as he took off down the path. Larry was quick to follow behind him.

"Huh? Hey…guys! Wait!" Junior called out after them. He groaned and followed their lead.

The trio rushed into an open clearing in the middle of the forest. But there was no immediate sign of what caused the sound they'd just heard.

"That's odd…," said Iggy.

"Forget about it already, Iggs," said Junior. "We've got more important stuff to worry about so let's just-"

Suddenly, a streak of pink dashed out in front of the Koopas from the other end of the field. Everyone froze as their eyes met.

"…Princess?" Larry began. Standing before them was indeed Princess Peach. Although, it was not the dainty princess they were familiar with. Junior, Larry, and Iggy couldn't help but stare at her drastically altered features; her scorched dress that was torn and exposing her ankles; her mildly frizzy, drastically shorter hair; her bare, bruised, glove-less hands. This looked be a princess who had been through hell and back.

"Larry? Iggy?" Peach replied with a blank stare. The pair slowly approached her. Junior's icy glare from afar went unnoticed.

"…Princess Peach? What're _you_ doing all the way out here?" Iggy asked. Peach smiled sheepishly.

"It's…a long story. Although, I could ask you the same thing." Another ear-grating shriek cut their conversation short.

Out of nowhere, Toad came crashing through the forest and tackled Peach.

"Toad!?" Peach exclaimed.

"Princess! I don't believe it! Finally!" Toad replied between breaths.

"What in the world are _you_ doing here?"

"Looking for you! I watched that fight between you and that masked guy back at the castle; and how you just vanished into thin air at the end of it. I didn't want to believe you were gone, so I searched everywhere for you!"

"Wait a sec, was that _you_ who was making that terrible sound just now?" Larry inquired.

"I thought it sounded familiar…," said Peach. "What were you screaming about?"

"I was being chased," Toad answered.

"By what?" asked Larry. A harsh gust of wind smothered the group. As a towering shadow cast itself over them, they all collectively looked up to the sky.

Descending from above was a familiar foe: Petey Piranha. Standing atop his shoulder was Eris. She jumped off and stood by the monster's side when he reached the earth.

"Great work, bait," said Eris; gesturing towards Toad. "I had a feeling you would lead us straight to what we were looking for."

"Wait a sec, is that…?" Junior questioned aloud. Witnessing the gargantuan, obese piranha plant monster now standing before him awakened a dormant memory. Images of Junior's trip to Isle Delfino flashed through his mind. He vividly remembered Mario first fighting the creature there, and the many encounters the two had had with one another over the years since then.

"Petey Piranha! But…how!? I thought he was-" Peach began as she recognized the monster as well.

"Perceptive, little princess," Eris taunted. "I'm glad you remember him. Because boy does he sure remember _you_." Petey unleashed a deep, monstrous roar, which greatly contrasted Toad's frail, feminine cries from a moment ago.

"And just who the heck are _you_!?" Junior exclaimed, shoving his memories aside for the moment.

"Name's Eris. I'm here to make a little delivery on Contemno's behalf."

"Y-you know Contemno!?"

"Oh yes. He and I go way back. Anyway, we've got a special gift for you, Prince Bowser Jr."

"Why would I ever accept a gift from Contemno!?"

"Well, it is your birthday after all. Isn't it?"

"' _…Birthday?''_ " Peach repeated to herself.

"We felt just awful about taking over your daddy's castle. So, my friend is here to make sure you still have some fun on your special day. And hey, there's plenty of 'fun' to go around for your little entourage here too." Eris scanned the rest of the group, then glanced back at Petey. "I'll leave the rest up to _you_ , big fella."

"Wait!" Peach exclaimed.

"Ta-ta!" said Eris as she leaped off of Petey's shoulder and vanished into thin air in a flash of light.

Petey unleashed another thunderous roar. Toad huddled behind Peach while Larry and Iggy stood close to Junior. Inhaling deeply, Petey spat a large chunk of brown, mud-like goop towards the group. They each dove out of the way in opposite directions. Petey continued his onslaught as he fired smaller, faster wads at his targets individually.

Junior rolled out of the way just in time as the projectile coated the tree behind him.

"What _is_ this stuff?" Iggy asked as he approached the tree to examine it.

"Don't touch it!" Peach exclaimed. Petey fired several more shots. One at Peach, the next for Toad, then Junior, and finally Larry. Each one narrowly avoided getting hit with the dangerous substance. Larry clapped his hands together and summoned his shield just before the blob could make contact with him.

"Any ideas, o' fearless leader of ours?" Larry asked Junior.

"Yeah, quit dodging and start attacking!" Junior replied. The Koopa Prince clapped and transformed into his signature spike ball. Taking off like a rocket, the shell sped directly towards Petey with intent to ram him head-on.

Petey chucked another wad of his toxic substance directly in Junior's path, causing the latter to lose control and spin out until he collided with a tree nearby and uncurled in a daze.

"Hey, Iggy! You mind helping out here!?" Larry called out.

"I _am_ helping!" Iggy argued as he continued to meticulously examine the slime tree. "If I can figure out what this stuff is, maybe I can find a weakness. Just, keep me covered for a bit!"

Suddenly, Petey flapped his leaf arms and flew high into the air. Taking a deep breath, the plant behemoth drenched the forest below in a rainstorm of his sludge. Junior took cover in his shell, Larry held his shield above him like an umbrella, and Peach warded the projectiles off with her tennis racket. Defenseless and distracted, Iggy failed to notice in time as the slime covered him from head-to-toe. The Koopaling froze in place like a statue.

"Somehow I don't think that's what he meant by 'cover' him…," Toad commented sarcastically. Peach glared at her assistant.

 _We won't get anywhere like this…,_ the princess thought.

"Hey, Larry! Give me a boost, will ya!?" Junior shouted. Larry nodded and knelt down on one knee as he angled his shield near the ground. Junior transformed into his spike ball form once more and sped towards Larry this time. As he reached the shield, Larry thrusted it upwards. The spike ball flew high into the air and collided with Petey; grounding the monster as the two fell back down to earth.

Petey wasted no time standing back up. He suddenly exhaled a steady stream of mud at his targets. Junior huddled behind Larry's shield. This defense wouldn't hold for long…

"Okay, we got him down on our level! Now what!?" Larry asked.

"Hang on. Let me think of something…," said Junior. The Koopaling staggered slightly.

"Can ya think a little faster!? I can't hold this stuff off forever!" As the slime spread out across the ground, Larry suddenly lost his footing and slipped; sending his shield tumbling away.

Before the stream could coat the two now defenseless Koopas, Peach dove in its path and deflected Petey's slime with her frying pan. Since her weapon was much smaller than Larry's shield, she knew she wasn't going to be able to buy them too much additional time.

"…Princess?" said Larry.

"Would you get outta here already!?" Junior exclaimed. "As if _you_ of all people would be of any help to us!" Peach gritted her teeth.

"Well, like it or not, I'm here!" Peach retorted. "This is _my_ fight too! So we can either work together and give ourselves a fighting chance, or we can sit here and argue while we wait for Petey to turn us all into mud sculptures like Iggy! Your choice!"

"She's got a point…," Larry agreed. Junior glared at Peach, who was offering an equally icy stare right back. "Junior!"

"Alright, alright! You can help!" Junior agreed reluctantly. The frying pan vanished from Peach's hands. She grabbed Junior and Larry in each of her arms and yanked them out of harm's way. The trio retreated behind a large boulder nearby.

"Wait for me!" Toad hollered as he followed and dove into cover as well.

This did little to stop Petey's onslaught as he continued to spit mud at their new line of defense.

"So what're we supposed to do now?" Junior asked bitterly.

"I don't know!" Larry replied. "Peach seems to know what that thing is," he commented as he looked to her. " _You_ tell us how to stop it!"

 _Easier said than done…_ , Peach thought. _Water usually does the trick, but we don't have Mario and F.L.U.D.D to get us out of this one…_

"Well? Any bright ideas?" Junior asked. The group turned when they heard a sharp crackling sound. The rock they were hiding behind was beginning to break apart!

"Oh, come on! Is there anything this stupid mud _can't_ break through!?" Toad complained.

"Wait a second…that's it!" Peach exclaimed. The boys all stared at her, confused. "If this mud can break down something as hard as stone, there's no reason it can't work on Petey himself!"

"So what, you want us to cover Petey in the mud?" Junior repeated. Peach nodded. "How are we supposed to do that without touching it?"

"Leave that to me," the princess reasoned as she summoned her tennis racket once more.

"I can give you a hand with that," Larry offered as he summoned his shield.

"What about me?" Junior inserted. "I don't have anything to reflect this stuff with!" Larry placed a claw to his chin.

"Hmm…I've got it! Junior, remember you exam?" the Koopaling asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The Bowser statue. Remember how you finished it off?" Peach and Toad stared blankly, oblivious to what was being referenced. Junior gasped.

"Oh yeah! _That_!" he recalled. Larry nodded.

"You and Toad keep him distracted while Peach and I do the dirty work. As soon as the big guy is covered from head-to-toe in the stuff, you swoop in and give him the final blow!" Larry instructed.

"Why am I everyone's bait today!?" Toad shouted. Junior yanked him out from behind the rock as the group charged forward to carry out the plan.

"Come and get me, ugly!" Junior taunted as he started his first lap around the clearing. Petey fired a few small mud shots at him. Just before they could reach their mark, Peach and Larry swatted the projectiles back at their sender; causing them to splatter across Petey's chest.

Toad and Junior continued to run circles around Petey as Peach and Larry took turns intercepting their opponent's fire.

"Huh?" Toad caught a brief glimpse of something glimmering in the bushes nearby. But with Petey still on the offensive, he couldn't stop to get a better look at what it was. All he could do was keep running.

Gasping heavily, Petey ceased fire for a moment. The group seized this chance to rest as well as they stopped running.

"He's slowing down! Junior, now's your chance!" Larry exclaimed.

"Gimme a sec!" Junior replied as he clapped his hands together.

"What is he going to do?" Peach asked.

"I need to focus. Just…keep an eye on him for me, will ya?"

"Uhhh…guys?" Toad inserted. Suddenly, Petey flapped his wings and took off into the air once more.

"Not again!" said Larry.

"I can't get a clear shot at him up there! Get him down somehow! Keep him still!" Junior ordered.

"How are we supposed to-" Peach started.

"Wait a sec, what's that!?" Toad exclaimed. Out of nowhere, a silhouette flew out of the bushes and took to the sky.

"No way…is that…?" Larry started. His hunch was confirmed when the sunlight exposed the silhouette's true form.

Pulling back his fist, Roy slugged Petey squarely across the face with all his might as the two met. The collision sent Petey hurdling to the ground with tremendous force. When he landed, Roy wrapped his arms around Petey's wings and torso and squeezed as hard as he could. Horrified, Petey wriggled and struggled but couldn't break free.

"Where'd _you_ come from, Roy!?" Larry called out.

"Who cares!" Roy shot down. "I'll hold the big guy in place! Just finish him off!"

Petey let out another furious, ear-bleeding screech. Roy squeezed even tighter and forced the plant monster to cough up several large globs of mud. Peach and Larry each deflected the shots back at Petey; covering his gargantuan head in mud. Gradually, his movements ceased as his body hardened under the shell of mud.

"Junior, now! Do it _now_!" Roy exclaimed. Junior raised his arms high above his head. Storm clouds materialized in the sky above. Peach and Toad froze in place; unsure of what exactly was coming next. Seconds later, a thwomp crashed through the clouds. The stone block demolished Petey's lifeless body into seemingly infinite pieces.

To everyone's surprise, a wave of red liquid poured out in all directions from the impact as well and drenched the victors. They each came back into consciousness not long after.

"I-is this…b-b-blood!?" Toad panicked.

"Impossible. Petey's a piranha plant. He doesn't have…blood…," said Peach.

Junior sat up and winced when he realized that some of the liquid had ended up in his mouth.

"Wait a sec…" Junior's eyes widened. He licked a sample of the "blood" that lingered on his claw. It certainly didn't taste like blood. Rather, it was slightly more…delectable; as if it were meant to be ingested. The liquid tasted quite bitter. "This…almost tastes like..."

Roy and Larry carefully chipped the hardened mud off of Iggy. They took great care to make sure they didn't accidentally break something important off of their brother.

"Ugghh…," Iggy moaned when his head was free at last.

"You alright, Iggy?" asked Larry.

"I feel like I was buried alive…"

"Well, that ain't far off from the truth," said Roy.

* * *

The group reconvened in the clearing. It was a rather awkward affair as neither the Koopas nor the duo of Peach and Toad knew what to say to one another now that their common threat had been neutralized. There were far too many questions to know where to begin.

Peach and Junior made eye contact for a brief moment, but Junior sharply turned away.

"So, Junior…," Larry started. "Isn't there something you think we should say? You know…to Princess Peach?" Junior remained silent. The way he was sheepishly rubbing his arm, Peach gathered that Junior was feeling ashamed for some reason. Larry sighed.

"Guess I'll say it then," he spoke. "Thanks, princess. For…helping us out back there."

"Oh…it was nothing!" Peach replied bashfully as her face filled with color. "There was no way I could've handled that on my own. You have my gratitude as well." A gentle breeze carried itself through the forest clearing and rustled the trees all around.

"Well, this day has certainly been full of surprises," Iggy said as he took a seat in the grass and folded his legs.

"No kidding…," Roy agreed.

"If you boys are out here, I can only assume it means you've been through your share of trouble as well," said Peach. "Seeing as we have a moment to catch our breath, why don't we compare notes and try to piece this all together?" The Koopas agreed and joined Peach in the grass.

They each swapped stories with one another of the events that had brought them here. Peach relayed details about Contemno's assault on her castle and her own battle with him, while Larry informed her of Kammy's murder and how they narrowly escaped a similar fate. He carefully omitted certain details about Junior's role, feeling as though Junior had been shamed enough today as it is. The Koopa Prince meanwhile, remained eerily silent throughout the conversation.

"I'm so sorry to hear about Kammy…," said Peach. "That's just awful…"

"Hey, sounds like you got it pretty bad too…losin' Toadsworth and everythin'…," Roy replied. The princess's eyes fell by the wayside for a moment.

"Yes, well…," said Peach. "There's nothing I can do for him now except to keep living. That's why I look as wretched as I do. I'm tired of letting everyone else fight my battles for me. It's time I started fighting for myself." Peach raised her head to the sky above. "To that end, I won't stop until Contemno is defeated. He'll pay for what he's done. I swear it."

The Koopalings were unsettled by the grimness behind Peach's words and her ominous, ruthless resolve. It was admirable to be sure, but completely out of character for the helpless, prim and proper princess they knew.

"Yeah, yeah…," Junior spoke at last as he stood up. "That's all very cute, princess. But if you don't mind, we've got plans of our own to stop Contemno. I think we've humored you and your sob story here long enough."

"Excuse me?" Peach replied.

"You're not the only one who's got it out for that freak, as you now know," said Junior. "I've got my reasons for wanting him dead. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Junior turned back around.

"What was that?"

"You just said you have your reasons for wanting to kill Contemno. Let's hear them. If we're going to work together here, I want to understand your side of things better, Junior."

"Hey, h-hold on here! Who said anything about working together!?"

"I thought it was rather obvious," Iggy inserted. "From the looks of it, we've all got the same goal here."

"Yeah besides, look at what we did to that plant monster back there. We stand a much better chance of winning this thing if we work together," Larry argued.

"'Winning?'" This isn't a game, Larry!" Junior exclaimed. "This is life or death out here!"

"And we stand a much better chance of preventing any more deaths if we work together," said Peach firmly. Junior groaned.

"You would just slow us down. We don't need _your_ help. We never did. We already decided we're doing things _my_ way, and my way doesn't involve you."

"Junior, quit being such a brat, will ya?" Roy complained.

"Oh what, now _you're_ agreeing with them? Gimme a break, Roy. Wasn't it _you_ who was preaching earlier that it was _my_ job to beat Contemno? Now you're saying it's okay to need help? Make up your mind already!"

"I know what I said back there, squirt. But I came back for a reason, y'know."

"And what would that be?"

"I did some thinkin' before. I know I said I wanted you to be our king. But then I realized that a king's only as good as the army behind him," Roy explained. "Don't get the wrong idea. I still think it's your job to kill Contemno, Junior. I'll even help ya get there. But I'm expecting you to start pullin' your own weight from here on out. No more slackin' off."

"Believe me, I intend to. I've already got our plans figured out. Now let's quit wasting time here chatting and get a move on already!" Junior declared as he began to walk away.

"Then let me be part of your army," said Peach. The Koopas all turned back to look at her.

"No," Junior denied.

"Junior, I understand how you're feeling. Contemno made you question your self-worth. He did the same thing to me. I don't know why you're so afraid to admit it, but we're more alike than you know."

"I don't care. We don't need you. Go build yourself a treehouse out here to live in or something. Just stay out of my way." Peach rushed over and aggressively blocked Junior's path.

"Stand aside!" Junior exclaimed.

"Not until you hear me out!" Peach retorted. Junior crossed his arms.

"You've got 60 seconds. Then we're outta here. Go."

 _Sheesh, he really **is** Bowser's son..., _Peach thought. "Roy's right, Junior. If you want to stop Contemno, you're going to need an army behind you. And no offense, but your trio of brothers here isn't exactly an army. I'm willing to fight with you since our interests align. I'm not asking that you and I see eye-to-eye on everything. But we both want Contemno dead. Let me help you kill him. In doing so, you'll be helping me as well. So, what do you say?" Junior hesitated. He looked around and watched as Larry, Iggy, and Roy each nodded at the proposal. The Koopa Prince clenched his fists.

"You better not slow us down. If you do, we're leaving you behind, got it?" Junior threatened.

"Fair enough," Peach agreed. She stuck out her hand for a handshake, but Junior coldly turned and walked away. She picked up her pace slightly to catch up with her new allies as they departed.

"Hey, wait up!" Toad exclaimed as he scurried behind them.

Together, Peach, Toad, the three Koopalings, and a reluctant Junior embarked on their quest to defeat Contemno.


	17. Sanctuary Under the Stars

**RECAP:**

 **Eris launched an attack against Junior and company in the heart of the forest. The commotion even lured Peach, Roy, and Toad into the fray as well. Together, the princess and Koopas fought against a familiar foe – Petey Piranha. By combining their strength, the team managed to defeat Petey before they were all turned into mud statues. Junior was perplexed by the strange red liquid Petey left behind in the aftermath of the battle. There was something oddly familiar about it…**

 **After deliberation, Peach resolved to join forces with the Koopas, much to Junior's dismay. Together, the team continued their journey to find Merlon.**

* * *

Weary from a long day of travel, Junior and the gang decided to take a short rest once they reached the edge of the forest at dusk. Meadows stretched onward for miles in all directions. It wasn't exactly the civilization they'd been hoping for, but it was at least progress for them to finally be out of the forest.

"So, you sounded pretty confident about your plans going forward," said Peach. "Where exactly are we going next?" Junior glared at her.

"Why can't you just shut your trap and trust us to do our job?" he retorted bitterly. Peach, however, refused to back down.

"If I'm going to be of any help to this team, I'm entitled to at least _some_ information about our objectives." Junior groaned.

"Fine, if it'll get you off my shell for a while," he agreed. "We need to find a guy named Merlon. I won't bore you with the details of how I met him. But long story short, he thinks he can help us stop Contemno. So we're going to where he lives."

"And where would that be?"

"I…can't really remember. He was really vague about it. Something to do with stars." Peach placed a hand to her chin.

"Hmmm…," she pondered.

"You wouldn't know anything about this guy, would you?" Iggy asked.

"His name sounds familiar, although it has been quite a long time," said Peach. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Oh, I remember now! Merlon helped Mario on a few of his adventures back in the day. He probably still lives at the foot of Shooting Star Summit." A memory flashed through Junior's mind.

 _Follow the stars and you will reach my home. I dwell at the point where the Mushroom Kingdom and Star Haven converge._ Reluctant as Junior was to admit Peach's useful deduction, the pieces did line up.

"Do you know where Shooting Star Summit is?" Larry inquired.

"Certainly. It's not far from my castle. We should head back to the Mushroom Kingdom," Peach proposed. "Since it's on the way, I'd also like to stop by my castle if that's alright. I'm worried about the people who were still trapped inside when Contemno attacked…"

"No! No way! No detours! If you're gonna stick with _my_ group, you're gonna follow _my_ rules!" Junior exclaimed. Suddenly, Roy violently jerked Junior aside by his tail. "Ow, hey! Roy! What gives!? You _know_ I hate when people do that!"

"Will you excuse us for a sec, Peach?" Roy asked politely. Peach nodded with a slightly puzzled expression.

"What are you doing!?" Junior exclaimed when the two were alone. Roy motioned for him to be silent with his claw.

"Look, I dunno why you've got it out for Peach all of a sudden, but whatever it is, drop it," said Roy.

"But I'm supposed to be in charge here and she's just-"

"I know you wanna prove yourself, squirt. Trust me, I get it. You'll get your chance. But right now, I need ya to quit being such a doofus. You wanna get to Merlon, and Peach can help us do it. So you need to quit butting heads, and just listen to her, 'kay?"

"You think my dad ever took advice from people? Heck no! So why should I-"

"You're dad's not here, and even though you got his name, you're _not_ your dad." That shut Junior up for a moment. "Sometimes bein' a good leader means bein' a good listener too. Work on that," Roy ordered as he marched back over to the group. The Koopa Prince sighed and followed his sibling's lead.

"As long as it's on the way, we can make a quick stop at your castle…," said Junior. "But don't keep us waiting too long. We gotta see Merlon."

"I understand. Thank you, Junior," said Peach with a humble smile. She may not have fully understood why Junior was so reluctant to let her be part of his team, but she gathered that pressing him further on this right now after he agreed to her terms wouldn't help much.

* * *

As nightfall was about to set in, the team managed to reach the Mushroom Kingdom. Although, it was a far cry from the quaint, humble utopia that any of them remembered. Quite the contrary in fact.

They were appalled to find that Toad Town had been utterly ravaged.

Homes, shops, and other buildings had been raided and abandoned to fall into disarray. The roads were cracked and split into pieces all throughout the city. The fountains and ponds had been polluted, and the fields of grass had been left to die. A chilling air of dread and despair wafted through the wasteland; accompanied by the fowl stench of brimstone and ash from fires that had long since trickled out into nothingness.

The group wandered slowly through the ghost town in mortified shock. None could believe how quickly the city had fallen into such a state of ruin in such a short amount of time. They each silently gathered that this was all Contemno's doing in some way, but that did little to lessen the blow.

"This is…horrible…," Larry spoke up at last.

"C'mon, we need to hurry and find that summit place," said Junior.

"Junior…," Roy started. Junior turned back to look at him. He knew exactly what his sibling was thinking, given their recent conversation. But, he was ready to challenge him this time.

"Roy, just take a look around. There's nothing we can do for this place now," the Koopa Prince defended coldly. "All we can do is stop it from happening again somewhere else." Slowly, the entourage agreed and picked up the pace as they proceeded towards the castle.

Peach instructed that the path to Shooting Star Summit was just over the next hill. They were closing in on their destination. But, they each got a long, painful look at the princess's castle along the way.

The grassy gardens had been scorched away and populated with the husks of dead trees; the moat and neighboring lake had been drained, as was to be expected at this point. The bricks of the castle itself had been painted an ominous dark purple color. Prickled vines slithered across the castle's exterior from all angles like a net and bound the front doors tightly shut; decisively denying entrance into the castle from the outside.

Peach silently abandoned her former desire to enter her castle and voiced no objections to Junior's resolve to just move on instead. Like it or not, it was going to take serious manpower and clever coordination to infiltrate such an ominous-looking fortress now. After their battle with Petey Piranha, no one was up to such a task at the moment.

* * *

Shooting Star Summit had changed very little over the years. Surprisingly, there was no real sign that Contemno's invasion had reached this place either. It seemed to have remained untouched for some reason. This raised the group's spirits slightly in hope that Merlon was still around and available to help.

At the base of the violet and blue mountain resided a rather humble-looking cottage. Junior and company were puzzled by the house's entrance. Although the porch light was on, the door itself was barred shut by a series of wooden boards. Were they not welcome here after all?

"Aww, ya gotta be kidding me!" Toad whined. "Don't tell me this old hermit doesn't live here anymore!"

"You sure this is the place, princess?" Roy asked.

"I'm positive. Merlon is the only one who lives on Shooting Star Summit, and this is the only spot on the mountain where a house could feasibly be constructed," Peach explained. "This _has_ to be it."

"But this doesn't make any sense…," said Junior as he approached the door. He place his hand firmly on one of the wooden boards.

"You think Contemno might've chased Merlon away too?" Larry suggested. Peach crossed her arms.

"If he did, then there's no way this house would still be standing. Besides, there's no visible sign of any kind of struggle around here," said Peach.

"The boards had to have been put up as an extra precaution then, I guess…," said Iggy.

Junior shut his eyes. _Merlon…where are you?_

"I'm closer than you think," a voice called out. Everyone froze in their tracks.

"D-did…did anyone else hear that?" Larry stammered. Suddenly, the wooden boards vanished into thin air, and the door to the cottage opened by itself.

"What the…?" said Roy.

"I've been expecting you," the mystery voice spoke again. "Please, come in."

"N-no way am I entering that spook house!" Toad protested. Junior shrugged.

"Suit yourself. Anyone else?" he asked as he approached the doorway. Larry silently nodded as he joined Junior. Roy, Iggy, and Peach followed as well.

"Oh c-come on! Don't leave me out here alone! Wait up!" Toad exclaimed as he scurried inside.

There wasn't much to the house's interior. The open circular room was blanketed in darkness, albeit with a tint of violet light mixed in. A ray of light emanating from the ceiling gradually expanded and revealed a small desk sitting on the other side of the room. The wooden floorboards beneath were tastefully blanketed with an expansive Persian blue rug. Abstract gold star patterns were etched all across the otherwise plain-looking cream white walls.

Junior approached the desk and spotted a figure in a royal blue cloak hunched over in a chair behind it. The figure glanced up, revealing a rather unsettling, bushy, white mustache protruding out from within the hood's interior shadow, and an emerald green pendant housing a small star and clasping the entire cloak together.

"Are you…Merlon?" Junior asked. A pair of yellow eyes materialized inside the hood's shadow.

"I am," an elderly voice croaked. The rest of the man's face remained shrouded in darkness. "Welcome, Prince Bowser Jr. I foresaw your arrival."

"Merlon…," Peach started.

"It has been quite a long time, Princess Peach," said Merlon. The wizard surveyed the rest of the room. "Come in, come in. You must all be weary from travel. Make yourselves at home." Merlon waved his hand and a series of chairs materialized around the room.

"Uhh…thanks," said Roy as he took a seat. Junior placed his hand firmly on the desk.

"Alright, let's not beat around the bush. You said you can help me defeat Contemno, right?" he asked.

"Indeed," Merlon replied. "However, if you are to have any chance of accomplishing such a goal, there is much you need to understand first."

"Oh boy, an exposition dump…," said Toad as he rolled his eyes.

"I urge you to listen to all that I have to say. In return, you will find that I have much to offer you." Junior looked back at the group, who provided little more than blank, indifferent stares. Junior sighed and took a seat.

"Sure, alright…," he agreed.

"Now, where to begin…," said Merlon as he stood up and began to slowly pace around the room. "I sense that it is great hardship that has brought you all here today; a suffering that each of you share." Peach rubbed her arm as she looked away solemnly. "Allow me to first extend my sincerest condolences to you for the ones you have lost."

"Wait, you know about what happened to Kammy?" Iggy asked.

"I do, and of Toadsworth as well," said Merlon.

"But...how's that possible?" asked Roy.

"Kammy and Toadsworth were dear old friends of mine. We have known each other for many years. You could say we were spiritually 'connected,' so to speak. It was not long after they each met their ends that I learned of such troubling developments."

"I had no idea…," said Peach.

"That was by Toadsworth's design, princess. You see, Kammy, Toadsworth and I were all part of a secret organization of magic users known as the Forbearance Society," Merlon explained.

"The what?" Junior replied.

"The Forbearance Society first discovered magic at the dawn of civilization. In fact, its members were the earliest known users of it. In the oldest of days, being born with the ability to perform magic was believed to have been a gift from the gods themselves. Anything seemed possible with magic. Before long however, the Forbearance Society began to fear that the raw, untamed power of magic could be used to bring ruin to the world. Therefore, the Forbearance Society perfected and passed down the instruction of magic across numerous generations in tight secrecy and outside of the public eye. Only a select handful of individuals in an entire population were allowed the exclusive privilege to practice magic at a time."

"Secrecy, huh? Is that why none of us have heard of this supposed organization until now?" Iggy inquired. Merlon nodded.

"Only those deemed worthy of performing magic by the Forbearance Society were allowed to partake in the teachings, and they were expected to uphold the organization's principles and traditions in return. Members were forbidden from sharing magic with those deemed unworthy in order to limit the spread of magic use to only the truly deserving, and in turn, minimize the chances of the supposed ruining of the world from happening."

"If they were so afraid of magic ruinin' the world, why'd they keep using it in the first place?" asked Roy.

"There were some within the organization who strongly believed magic could be used to help people; to heal the hurt, to protect the defenseless, and to inspire the curious. However, the members as a whole of the organization were still discouraged from teaching magic to the untrustworthy out of fear that the art might be used for malicious purposes."

"But, how could it really be secret though? Using magic is pretty common nowadays. I mean, Kammy never tried to hide it from us," said Larry.

"The idea of keeping magic largely a secret became an outdated ideology at the turn of the century. As the decades passed, the Forbearance Society gradually abandoned its rigid philosophies and loosened its stranglehold over magic in the mortal world. As the founders of the organization died from old age and passed down the reigns to younger, more open-minded individuals of purer blood, members began to showcase and teach magic much more openly. Kammy and I were some of the last examples in this evolution."

"But…Toadsworth never told me he could do magic," said Peach. "He kept it a secret right up until his death."

"Although the Forbearance Society has been dormant for quite some time and lingering on the edge of extinction, some of the remaining few members still cling to the ancient ways. Some still believe in what was preached by the organization's founders; that magic was meant to be kept a secret and that practicing it openly poses too much of a risk. Toadsworth however, was a different case entirely. Had he not sought to protect you, princess, his magical abilities might have gone neglected and unnoticed for his entire life. He _chose_ not to use his talents. This was not so much because he was ashamed of his ability to perform magic, per se. Rather, Toadsworth believed that using it would attract enemies and dangerous people. As your designated caretaker, he could not stand the idea of putting you in harm's way by inviting such characters into his life."

"I see…," said Peach.

"Look, I'm sure this is all really important info," Junior inserted. "But what does any of this magic society stuff have to do with us?"

"Contemno is a man for whom you need know introduction," said Merlon. "I have studied him from afar since the rumblings of a great evil first began to surface."

"Yes, the Star Spirits warned us a terrible force was coming not too long ago," said Peach. "It's probably safe to assume at this point that Contemno _is_ that great evil that was prophesied."

"Indeed," Merlon replied. "In addition, I have my suspicions that Contemno somehow has ties to the Forbearance Society, given his extensive supernatural powers."

"You thinkin' he might be a member?" Roy inquired.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," said Merlon. "The Forbearance Society has been inactive for so long that many believe it has been disbanded entirely. However, a small handful of magic users in the world remain as members, including myself, Kammy, and Toadsworth, up until their recent passing."

"Merlon, if you know who the other members of the Forbearance Society are, then isn't it possible you also know who Contemno is?" Iggy proposed.

"Unfortunately, there is no way for me to be certain. I believe the name 'Contemno' itself is an alias. Someone is disguising their true identity while they use magic to commit atrocities. Whoever hides behind the mask, I believe this person has deep connections to the Forbearance Society; either by being a member directly, or at least having strong association with a member such as an apprentice or assistant. But the reason why Contemno is bringing suffering to so many people, I have yet to determine." Junior folded his arms.

"Hmph, it sure doesn't sound like you know much to help us stop him after all…," said Junior.

"It would be unwise to make such an assumption, Prince Junior," said Merlon. "It is true that I am not as young as I used to be. I am not capable of traveling far distances and if I were to fight Contemno myself at this very moment, my victory - much less my survival - could not be assured. However, the lot of you are not yet cursed to carry such burdens. This brings me at last as to why I have summoned you here today."

"Finally…," said Toad as he rolled his eyes.

"While I may not be able to determine Contemno's identity or his intentions through mental magic, I have resources to aid _you_ in finding the answers," Merlon began.

"Resources, huh?" Junior replied as his eyebrows perked up. "Like what?"

"I am certain you witnessed the state of ruin that Contemno left Toad Town in during his raid on Princess Peach's castle." Peach winced at this statement. "It should be apparent to you that a sanctuary is necessary; a place to rest during your travels. Therefore, I invite all of you to take refuge here at my estate."

"I guess having some kind of base of operations _is_ in order," said Iggy.

"Yeah, but…here? In this tiny shack? Is there even enough room for all of us?" asked Roy. Merlon waved his hand. Suddenly, the entire building shook, and two sets of stairs materialized on opposite sides of the room; one leading to a second floor, and another descending into the ground.

"I chose to live out my days at Shooting Star Summit for a reason," said Merlon. "Being so close to Star Haven, this is most spiritual place in the Mushroom Kingdom. Here, the natural magic energy in the air is at its strongest. Despite my old age, I am able to manipulate the size and shape of my home at will without exerting myself. Rest assured, there will always be as much space as you desire for as long as you are here."

"Well, that's great and all, but Contemno seems like some kind of psychic. Isn't it possible he'll find us here sooner or later?" Larry asked.

"I have taken precautions for that as well," said Merlon. "I previously cast a lingering distortion spell over my home. This location is completely invisible to the uninvited eyes."

"So the reason Contemno didn't attack you during his invasion is because…he couldn't _see_ you here?" Peach gathered.

"Precisely," Merlon confirmed with a nod. "Therefore, I grant you full access to my home, my magic resources, and my services. You may rest and strategize here for as long as you like without fear of being detected."

"That's awfully generous of you…," said Iggy. "How do you know you can even trust us? I mean, Peach is the only one in this group whom you've already met before now."

"We are in the midst of an international crisis, my boy," Merlon replied. "Contemno's power and influence over the world grows stronger with every passing day; and with every threat he eliminates as well. We cannot afford to be too selective of our allies in these dire circumstances. Princess Peach has already earned my trust. Although the rest of you might not yet be acquainted with me, I cannot close my door to you if you are accompanying the princess. She trusts you, so I shall do the same."

"Plus, you probably can't forgive that bastard for what he did to your friends too, huh?" Junior surmised.

"Yes…"

"Well, I'd say that's one problem solved then," said Larry. "We've got a headquarters!"

"Only question now is, what's our next move?" Roy asked.

"There will be plenty of time to strategize and prepare yourselves for the task at hand. But for now, I invite you to rest," said Merlon. The group collectively turned to him. "You have been through quite the arduous journey to come here. Please, make yourselves at home for the evening while you recuperate and regain your strength."

"Sounds good to me," Larry agreed with a yawn. With no objections, the team ascended the staircase to find a sprawling bedroom on the second floor; complete with a bed for each of them. They couldn't believe Merlon was capable of creating an elaborate place with seemingly little effort.

Despite all of the thoughts and worries swirling around like a whirlpool in his mind, Junior drifted off to sleep without much effort. He couldn't deny his curiosity towards what tomorrow would hold.

It was time for a new start.


	18. Order

**RECAP:**

 **Thanks to Peach's insight, Junior's group reached Merlon's home at Shooting Star Summit at last. Along the way, they discovered that Toad Town had been completely destroyed during Contemno's invasion, with Peach's castle itself having been transformed into a nightmarish fortress of some kind.**

 **Merlon invited the weary travelers into his home and told them of the Forbearance Society – an ancient magic organization that was once devoted to preserving the art of magic as a well-kept secret from society. Merlon informed the group that Toadsworth and Kammy were once members of the Forbearance Society themselves alongside him, and he voiced a suspicion that Contemno has connections to the organization as well. Junior's team accepted Merlon's invitation to stay and use his home as a base of operations while they rest and plan their next move.**

* * *

Maldeon strolled down the hallway with a bountiful meal tray in tow. He stopped just outside the doorway leading to Bowser's prison cell and knocked.

"Hey, you still alive in there?" asked Maldeon.

"…Huh? Oh, it's you. That weird guard again," said Bowser.

"Meal's here," said Maldeon as he ignored the remark and slid the tray through the door's flap. He listened for the rumblings of Bowser's response, but was only met with silence at first.

"How do I know you didn't taint this somehow?" Bowser asked.

"Feeding you is my job. How would poisoning you help me at all?"

"With me out of the way, you'd be out of work. That would give you more free time to rebel against your boss, wouldn't it?"

"I'm already rebelling against him by talking to you in the first place." Bowser blushed when he heard his stomach growl loudly. Giving in to temptation, he carefully reached for a slice of toast on the tray. Bowser gradually began to eat as the familiar tastes assured him that there was nothing out of the ordinary with this food.

"If you're that much of a glutton for punishment, how'd you wind up being his little errand boy in the first place?" Bowser asked between bites.

"Contemno saved my life. I owed him a favor for it."

"Heh…going back on your word, huh? Dishonest. I like it! You would've made a pretty good accomplice of mine back in the day," Bowser praised. Maldeon hesitated at the statement for a moment, but decided not to comment on it ultimately.

"What about you? What exactly does Contemno want you alive for?" Maldeon asked.

"How should I know?"

"…Yesterday, you sure acted like you already had everything all figured out."

"Yeah well…maybe that was just a bluff. I guess I was just trying to act scary to intimidate you. I do that to everybody, you see. It's a bit of an old habit. I've spent nearly a decade trying to break it. But, you know how it is. Some old things just die hard," Bowser rambled.

"Interesting…," said Maldeon.

"Huh?"

"It sounds to me like you've had a really exciting life."

"It's had its ups and downs I guess…" Maldeon was surprised at how quickly Bowser was opening up to him all of a sudden. It was a stark contrast to before. The guy was doing it all on his own too. Maldeon barely provoked him to do anything.

"But I'm not all that special when you come right down to it," Bowser continued. "I'm sure you've lived a pretty eventful life up until now too, huh?" Maldeon failed to respond right away as he pondered how to answer that.

"…Have I?" was all he could think to utter.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"…Oh, s-sorry…" Maldeon stammered. "It's just, my memory's a little foggy…"

"No worries, pal. I getcha. Old age will do that to ya," said Bowser with a chuckle. "I mean, I'm not exactly a grandpa yet. But my back's starting to ache, I've got these stupid heart pills I'm supposed to be taking. Hell, my kid just turned 18 recently."

"I don't think it's old age that's the problem with me. I think it's…something else," said Maldeon.

"Well, don't feel too bad. People lose their memory all the time. If you ask me, it's kind of a dumb cliché at this point. But I'm sure you'll get your's back in no time. Any idea how it might've happened?"

"Nothing concrete. But, maybe you can help me, Bowser."

"Woah, hang on there, chief. I ain't no shrink or anything like that. Only thing I could try doing to help jog your memory is a strong blow to the head. I mean, if you're gutsy enough, that is."

"No, that's not it. I know this is going to sound crazy. I can't quite put my finger on it. But…there's something familiar about you."

"Me?"

"Yes. For some reason, when I hear your voice, there's this…throbbing in my head. It's as if I've met you before. But I can't imagine where."

"Well, I can't say your voice is doing anything like that for me," said Bowser. "What's your name?"

"Maldeon."

"'Maldeon…?'" Bowser repeated with a hint of disgust. "What kinda name is that? Mom couldn't come up with anything better?"

"Contemno gave it to me," Maldeon clarified. Bowser nearly choked on the slice of bacon he was chewing at that moment.

"Wait, that little shrimp pie is your mommy!?" the Koopa King exclaimed with a hardy laugh.

"What!? No! Not at all!" Maldeon denied. "What I mean is, Maldeon gave me this name when he found me. I don't remember my real name, so it's just what he calls me in the meantime."

"'Found?' What do you mean he 'found' you? What, did you show up on his doorstep in a basket like some kinda orphan baby or something?"

"Hardly. I think I was in an accident. Contemno said he found me at the sight of some crash outside of town a few days ago. He brought me back here, patched me up, and I've just been biding my time while I try to wait for my memories to come back."

"I see," said Bowser as he polished off the last of his meal and licked each of his individual claws clean. "So _that's_ why you're doing Contemno a solid by looking after me then. You feel like you owe him for taking you in."

"Exactly."

"What about your memories? Has anything come back yet? You said it's been a few days."

"No, nothing. It's weird though. It doesn't feel like my memories are gone exactly. They're just…hazy."

"I'm not following."

"When I try to picture people or places from my past, I can almost see something. But it's all blurry. It's right there, but I just can't reach it."

"Weird. You think Contemno knows anything about you?"

"He might. But if he does, he won't tell me a thing. If he's withholding any important information from me, I can't exactly do anything to get on his bad side," said Maldeon. "Like it or not, Contemno might be my only chance to get my memory back." The Koopa King rubbed his chin.

"Well, take it from someone who used to do evil for a living," Bowser boasted. "If this guy does have a grip like that on you, a few chores ain't gonna persuade him to cough up the goods."

"What do you mean, Bowser?"

"If it were me and I had the dirt on you, I would never _actually_ give it to you; no matter how many favors you did for me."

"Really? Why not?"

"Oh, come on. Isn't it obvious? This is textbook 'Villainy 101' stuff. I would string you along with little promises here and there that _maybe_ I'll give you the answers you want just to keep you loyal and motivated. Like dangling a carrot over your head."

"I see…"

"But in reality, I'm locking you into a lifetime of endless servitude and you'd never realize it because you're keeping your head down and buried in the sand," Bowser explained. "If I'm right about any of this, you'd probably be smart to get out while you can."

"Sounds like I'm doing the right thing by talking to you after all, then."

"You got _that_ right," Bowser agreed with a small belch. He laid back against the wall, spread out his legs, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "But then again, _everybody_ would be better off if they just listened to me all the time." Maldeon chuckled at this. If nothing else, this Bowser character was amusing to listen to.

"Then it's decided," Maldeon announced.

"Huh? What is?"

"I'll get you out of here. In return, you let me come with you." Bowser jolted up immediately.

"Huh!? Wait, slow your roll, pal! I never agreed to anything like that! Besides, when did I say I needed _your_ help to get out of here!?"

"You didn't, and maybe you don't. But, I could make it easier for you since I know the layout of the building and I've got a better shot at getting the key to your cell than you. Even if you were to break out on your own, I'd just follow you out the front door."

"Are you out of your mind? Why would you do that?"

"I told you already. There's something familiar about you. If I stick with you for now, maybe my memories will start to come back."

"What about your boss? If you double-cross him now, you can probably forget about ever squeezing any useful info out of him."

"If your theory about Contemno has any merit, I'll never get my memories back by staying here and listening to him."

"Heh…well, the old me would never agree to a team-up. Especially with a total stranger like you. But if you're offering to do the heavy lifting and bust me out of here, how can I say no?" Bowser agreed.

"It's settled then. For now, you stay put. I'll start working on our exit strategy."

* * *

 _Junior was abruptly awoken by a strange, yet oddly familiar aroma in the air. Cracking open his eyes slightly, Junior found himself in a foreign environment as well. The colors of the room were warm and inviting. There was a certain stillness in the air that was putting Junior at ease. That is, until he regained his full consciousness._

 _"…What? Where am I?" Junior asked. "This isn't Merlon's home. How did I get…_ _ **here**_ _?"_

 _"Junior!" a loud, boisterous voice exclaimed. The Koopa Prince turned to find Bowser sitting at his bedside. Or rather, it was the strange variation of Bowser who had taken to wearing goofy glasses and treating Junior like he was a kid again. Before Junior could respond, Bowser scooped him up in a bear hug and clenched him tightly to his chest. "Thank the stars, you're awake!"_

 _"Dad? Ugh…not again…," Junior groaned as he winced with anticipation of the aggressive affection he was about to receive._

 _"Celia! Celia, sweetie! He's up!" Bowser exclaimed. Suddenly, another person rushed into the room. Junior recognized her this time. From the photos in the getaway home, to the previous vision he'd had of the woman in the kitchen. Not to mention that Bowser had now just identified her by name. Junior was absolutely certain of it this time. This woman was in fact his mother._

 _"Junior! Oh, honey!" Celia cried as she stole Junior from Bowser's arms and cradled him. "My sweet baby! Are you alright!?" There was so much Junior wanted to say to her. But in the moment, all he could utter was his mother's name._

 _"Mom…"_

 _"Bowser, go get him some water! He might be dehydrated!" said Celia. Bowser nodded and rushed out of the room; leaving Celia to sit on the bed and gently stroke Junior's topknot._

 _"Mom…," Junior started again. She looked down at him. "What's going on?"_

 _"Oh, sweetheart…you fell asleep again."_

 _"Asleep? Have I been sleeping this whole time?" Celia nodded._

 _"You're sleeping more and more these days. It worries me to death because I never know when you'll wake up again."_

 _"What's…wrong with me?"_

 _"I don't know, honey," she confessed with a choke. Junior could tell she was fighting back tears. "We don't know why you're sleeping so much." Bowser returned and handed Junior a tall glass of water. He almost spilled it as he realized how small his hands had become. The cool, soothing sensation of the drink running down his throat was far too real to just be a dream or an illusion._

 _Whatever this place was, it was real. It couldn't possibly be a dream. But it wasn't the reality Junior knew. After all, his mother wasn't alive in his reality. So why was she here?_

 _"What is this place?" Junior asked. Celia and Bowser looked at each other with confusion._

 _"This is your bedroom, pal! Don't you recognize it?" said Bowser._

 _"No…it's different from…how I remember it…," said Junior._

 _"Don't tell me his memory's starting to go too…," said Bowser. Celia immediately embraced her husband in desperate desire for comfort, to which he gladly obliged. The Koopa Prince was beginning to sense the fatigue setting in again. But he couldn't give into it. Not yet. He needed to find out more. Junior used the last of his reserved energy to speak once more._

 _"Where can I find you guys…when I wake up again?" Junior asked. Both Bowser and Celia's eyes began to water._

 _"We're not going anywhere, pal. We're right here. Always. We'll never leave your side," said Bowser. Junior's eyelids grew heavy as he quickly began to doze off again. His mother's voice was a distant echo now. As he drifted away, Junior heard the last of her desperate pleas._

 _"No! Junior, please! Not yet! Don't leave us so soon!"_

* * *

Junior slowly stirred awake and found himself back in the bedroom of Merlon's house. His siblings were all fast asleep. The Koopa Prince sat up and massaged his temples. He was growing used to this routine by now. But he refused to accept it as normal. With every vision Junior had, he grew steadily more frustrated with it all. He needed to understand why this was happening to him.

Junior climbed out of bed and sat against the windowsill in the corner of the room. He gazed up into the ocean of stars in the night sky above. His thoughts and emotions began to melt away. Even though sleep was impossible for him right now, Junior found himself at peace.

"Couldn't sleep?" a soft voice chimed in from behind. Junior turned and watched as Peach stepped into the soft light cast by the window.

"No…not really…," said Junior as he rubbed his eye. "You too?"

"I heard you get up. Truth be told, you were mumbling in your sleep," said Peach.

"Really?" Junior replied, blushing slightly. Peach nodded.

"Don't worry, it wasn't that loud. I was already having trouble falling asleep myself."

"Nightmares?" Peach joined Junior on the windowsill.

"I suppose. I just have a lot on my mind. You probably do as well, considering everything that's happened up until now."

"Yeah…" Peach was taken aback slightly at how open Junior was being with her in the moment. Compared to how cold and distant he was with her in the forest, it was unsettling how pleasant he was to converse with suddenly. She chalked it up to fatigue; believing that Junior was just too tired to pick another fight right now. The princess was in no mood to provoke him either, so she chose her words carefully.

"You miss him, don't you?" Junior asked.

"Who?"

"Toadsworth."

"Oh…well, yes. I do miss him terribly. Unfortunately, he's not the only one I'm troubled over. I can't help but wonder where Mario is right now. I hope he's okay."

"Mario?" Peach nodded and explained to Junior about the mysterious package she received containing Mario's cap during the last council meeting at her castle.

"It all makes sense now," said Junior.

"What does?"

"I was wondering when that no-good Italian fatty was going to show up and save the day like he always does. I thought it was weird that I haven't seen any trace of him yet." Peach ignored the insult hurled towards her husband. She was admittedly used to Junior's instigating comments towards people he didn't like by now. It was only when they were thrown her way when she was surprised as Peach had never seemed to be a direct enemy of Junior up until now.

"I can't just sit by and let him do all of the work. Not this time," said Peach.

"You think he's still out there?" Junior asked. Peach hesitated for a moment, then her face was flooded with an unsettling seriousness all of a sudden.

"I'm positive. I may not know where Mario is right now or what happened to him. But I just know that Contemno is responsible. I'll never forgive that man for all that he's done…" Junior's expression now matched her own.

"Get in line, princess. That guy's got a _lot_ of blood on his hands."

"Of course, there was Kammy as well…"

"Not just that. Contemno made me look like a coward. He messed with a Koopa's pride. Nobody does that and gets away with it. If anybody's gonna get that son of a bitch, it's me."

"Then let's work together. Whatever issues you have with me, let's put them behind us, Junior."

"Isn't it enough that I've humored you this long?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You helped us get to Merlon. I'm grateful for that, Mama Peach. But I haven't forgotten what you did, and I'm not planning on forgiving you for it any time soon."

"What I did…?"

"Sure, we'll work together to track down Contemno and get close to him. But the second I get my chance to kill him, you better stay the hell out of my way unless you want me to cut _you_ down too. Don't forget that." Junior coldly walked away without allowing Peach a chance to rebuttal.

The princess felt helpless to say anything more as she was deeply troubled by what Junior had just said and how drastically his mood had changed. Alone she sat on the windowsill as she waited for fatigue to carry her back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, the group was gathered around a large wooden table Merlon had conjured up for them in the basement.

"Remind me again why we're down here," said Roy.

"I told you, we need a designated room where we can strategize," said Iggy. "Until we have a full grasp of our situation, we need to lay low. Using the basement is our best option to keep any attention we may draw to Merlon's house to an absolute minimum."

"Makes sense to me," Larry agreed.

"Alright, let's get down to business then. When are we going after Contemno? The sooner, the better I say," said Toad.

"Patience," Iggy warned. "We need to be cautious from here on out. We got lucky to make it this far, but we can't afford to be reckless now. As we know from Kammy and Toadsworth's murders and the state that Toad Town was left in, Contemno is a powerful enemy. Before we can challenge him again, we need to learn as much about him and his operation as possible."

"It sounds to me like a degree of reconnaissance is in order, then," said Peach. "What do you recommend?"

"Well, before we even talk about making any sort of movement, we need to establish some order in our group first."

"Order?" Larry repeated. Iggy nodded.

"We need to be ready for any kind of trouble we might run into out there. If what Merlon says about him is true, then Contemno is in a position of power right now. By challenging him, we're essentially delivering a declaration of war against Contemno. So, we'll need to become an organized army if we're going to have any chance of winning this war. That means, we'll need to know when to retreat, and when to stand our ground and fight."

"I agree," said Peach. "I think a good place to start with that would be assessing our own current abilities. We should figure out what skills we are each able to contribute to the team, and then form our plans of attack around those skills."

"Agreed. So, what do we have?"

"Well…I can summon a shield," said Larry.

"If ya need brute force, count on me," said Roy.

"I can summon a tennis racket, a golf club, and a frying pan at will. So, I'd consider myself somewhat proficient in direct, physical combat," said Peach. Everyone suddenly looked over at Toad, who was next in line to speak.

"Uhhh…heh….moral support?" he answered sheepishly. Iggy sighed.

"Well, it sounds like brute force is about the full extent of what we've got to work with then…"

"What about me? I can use magic!" Junior inserted.

"True, but aside from catching fireballs, curling up into a ball, and summoning a thwomp, what more can you really do, Junior?" asked Iggy.

"I'd say that's at least a fair start towards being proficient," said Peach.

"Yeah, but he learned those tricks in a very controlled and telegraphed environment," said Iggy. "Not to downplay Ludwig's teachings or anything, but Junior started practicing these skills fairly recently as well. I'd wager he needs a bit more practice before he can use magic in any truly versatile way."

"Who died and made _you_ the magic expert, Iggs?" Junior retorted. "If the rest of our skills are so lacking, what can _you_ offer?"

"I'm a scientist and a mechanical engineer, Junior. Strategizing is more of my forte."

"So you plan on sittin' around on your tail and barkin' orders at us while we do all the heavy lifting then? Is _that_ what you're proposin'?" asked Roy. Iggy groaned.

"No, that's not-"

"Don't forget that _you_ got drenched in that plant monster's slime. Huh, yeah, only a _real_ scientist would be stupid enough to let their guard down like that!" Roy continued.

"Alright, settle down," Peach interjected. "It doesn't matter what we have or have not done up until now. What matters is what we're _going_ to do moving forward. I think having an intellectual on the team is definitely necessary. What do you need from us in order to help you fill that role, Iggy?"

"I'm already working on that," said Iggy. "Since I don't have access to my lab back at the castle, Merlon has agreed to help me replicate it here in the basement. He summons the materials I need, and I put everything together. It'll take some time before all my tech is up and running. But once it's all set, I plan on putting my skills to good use. All I need from you is a little faith." Roy and Junior fell silent.

"So, what should we be doing in the meantime then?" Larry asked.

"If I may offer a suggestion," said Merlon as he descended the staircase. The inhabitants of the room turned to him. "If developing your magic abilities further is what you desire, I have an entire library of books you may consult on the subject. Of course, I am willing to work with you directly myself as well."

"That would be a huge help," said Peach. "We need to start making the best possible use of our time."

"Very well then, those who seek magic training, follow me." Peach and Junior didn't hesitate to accompany the wizard. Larry shrugged.

"Eh, why not? Can't let myself become a one-trick pony with this shield," he agreed. "What about you, Roy?" The bald Koopaling crossed his arms.

"I got all the physical magic I need with my strength," Roy replied. He glanced around the room. "But…I guess reading _would_ be more productive than just sitting around twiddlin' my claws, huh? Alright…"

"Iggy? You coming?" Junior asked. Iggy glared at him.

"Junior, you know that magic and I don't mix. Building a lab down here is more than enough of a task for me."

"But, you used to do magic just like us back when we were fighting Mario," said Larry.

"That was a long time ago. Things change…," Iggy replied.

"And what are you planning to do, Toad?" Peach asked. Toad put his feet up on the table and reclined in his chair.

"Who, me? I'll probably just take a nap. Wake me when lunch is ready, m'kay?" said Toad. Peach's disapproving expression towards him went unnoticed.

"Hell no!" Junior protested. "It's bad enough that I had to let Mama Peach onto my team. But I'm not gonna have _you_ riding our coattails too if you're not gonna do squat! Get up here and make yourself useful!"

"Alright, alright…sheesh…," said Toad as he dragged his feet up the stairs.

* * *

Up on the main floor, Merlon had expanded the room to allow sufficient floor space for the group to practice. Everyone sat in a circle in mild anticipation. Toad was instructed to pass out books to each of them, and he agreed reluctantly as his tiny arms struggled to carry the towering stack of thick, dusty text. After a few minutes, Merlon joined the group.

"Now then," he began. "During my time as a member of the Forbearance Society, I learned that there are two universal truths about magic. The first, is of the existence of the three types of magic. Does anyone know what they are?"

"Physical, mental, and spiritual," Junior answered quickly. Roy smirked proudly at such a fast recall.

"Very good," said Merlon. "With a basic understanding of each type of magic, just about anything is possible. However, the second truth about magic, is that no two users perform magic in quite the same way; even while using these three types. Everyone has a different understanding of the art. To that end, everyone uses magic for a specific reason that is often unique to them alone. Everyone has their own goal for which they rely on magic to help them accomplish. Such desires radiate strongly in the soul. You may not have realized it, but I have the power to gaze deeply into your souls. I can see the beginning formation of an individual goal inside each of you at this very moment just by observing you."

"Woah…invasion of privacy much?" said Roy.

"Well, he used to do a lot of fortune-telling back in the day so having such an ability isn't surprising to me in the slightest," said Peach.

"Worry not. My only reason for analyzing you in such a way is to understand how I may best assist you in your training; even if you are not sure of what you need yourself," said Merlon. "For example, Princess Peach," the princess frowned when she found herself in the spotlight. "I sense there is much hurt in your heart. You feel troubled over the people in your life whom you have lost to darkness in one way or another. You feel responsible for their fates."

"It's true…," Peach admitted solemnly.

"But you mustn't despair. As I mentioned before, the Forbearance Society ultimately continued its teachings of magic over the years - in spite of the looming fear of ruin to the world – because it was believed that magic could be used to protect the defenseless and to aid those incapable of saving themselves. If you embody it, I believe this is an ideology that will help you awaken the powerful gifts that sleep within you."

"Gifts…," Peach repeated. "Toadsworth mentioned the same thing..."

"It is possible Toadsworth believed you would be capable of protecting yourself should he fail to defend you."

"But it's not just about me. Not anymore," Peach reasoned. "I don't just want to stay alive. I want to help the people I love. I don't want to see Contemno strike down anyone else ever again."

"An admirable goal," said Merlon. "I believe there is potential in you to make such a desire reality. Truth be told, however, it would be quite difficult to accomplish this task in your current state. Are you willing to put in the work to develop yourself?" An expression of dead seriousness overtook her face.

"Yes. I will do whatever it takes to save them." Merlon nodded in praise of her resolve, then turned to face the others.

"Of course, the desires in each of you resonate just as strongly," Merlon continued. "Prince Junior, I sense in you a deep desire for redemption. Your pride has suffered many fatal blows from many people in your life. You walk this path in search of greater magic strength that you can use to change how the world views you."

"Sure, if you wanna put it that way, I guess…," Junior reluctantly agreed.

"And you, Roy," Merlon continued.

"Don't say it," the Koopaling stopped him abruptly. This caught the attention of the rest of the room. "I know you can read what I'm thinkin' right now. But don't say it. I'm grateful to ya for what you've done for us so far. But if ya don't want to get on my bad side, then don't finish your sentence."

"Very well," said Merlon, seeming completely unfazed by Roy's threat. Junior and Larry each turned curiously to Roy, but were met with only a scowl and a cold shoulder. What was it that Roy wanted to get out of studying magic? More importantly, why was he quick to stop Merlon from revealing it?

"Now then, I intend to work with each of you individually in order to best assist you with developing your powers," said Merlon. "As you can imagine, this will take time. Patience will be an invaluable tool. That is why I offer you these textbooks to read while you are waiting for your session with me. Who would like to go first?"

"I will, Merlon," said Peach. The wizard summoned a wooden door at the other end of the room.

"Let us step inside and begin at once," said Merlon. As the pair entered into the mysterious new chamber of the house, the others gathered their books and departed to find comfortable spots around the house in which they could begin reading. Junior caught Larry looking at him smugly as they left.

"What's with the face?" the Koopa Prince asked.

"Heh…you actually gonna read this time now that the fate of the world is at stake?" Larry joked.

"Oh shut up!" Junior retorted playfully with a laugh. Roy stayed behind as everyone finished clearing out. The Koopaling glanced at the book in his hand. His grip tightened as he clenched the spine.

 _Don't worry. I'll be there this time. I promise I'll do it for him…and you._


	19. The Real You

**RECAP:**

 **Having settled into their new sanctuary at Merlon's house, Junior's group began to plan for the future. They discussed the strengths they could each contribute to the team and agreed that further magic training was necessary for each of them. Iggy remained behind to construct his laboratory; reasoning that he was better suited for the role of a scientist and strategist instead. Merlon revealed he possesses the power to look into the souls of others and read their deepest desires, much to the dismay of a rather secretive Roy.**

 **Meanwhile, Maldeon and Bowser began to warm up to each other and eventually formed a pact. In exchange for freeing him from the prison, Maldeon requested to accompany Bowser on his escape as he believed the Koopa King just might be the key to reclaiming his lost memories.**

* * *

"What do you _mean_ it didn't work!?" Contemno exclaimed furiously.

"It's as I said. The plant didn't get them. There were no mud statues to be found when I came to round them up," said Eris as she shrugged. Contemno took a deep breath and reclaimed his composure.

"Well then, if they managed to somehow defeat Petey Piranha, where did they go?"

"If I knew that, would I really show up here empty-handed? If that timid little toddler of a prince is good at anything, it's disappearing acts." Contemno grunted as he could feel his frustration rising once more.

"I don't get why yous is all sore outta shape, boss," said Topper. "Ya saw it for yaself. Da kid's no threat to ya."

"Perhaps not yet, but his power is growing," said Contemno. "If he were truly stagnant, he would have never escaped from Petey Piranha. I'm certain of this. I can only assume this is once again the work of his little support network. Grrr…curse them all!"

"Relax. He'll crawl out of his hole sooner or later. After all, he must be terribly worried about his dear old dad," said Eris with a smirk.

"Of course," Contemno agreed. "It's time I started making better use of my resources. I must begin my tests at once." The mage declared as he strolled across the grand hall to make his exit. "In the meantime, summon the others for a meeting."

"What, now? Why?" Eris asked.

"They'll need to be ready for anything; especially to stop Junior and his entourage when they show themselves again if it should come to that."

"But, I thought yous said Junior wasn't a threat," said Topper. "So why da big commotion all of a sudden?"

"I was careless to let him escape so easily," said Contemno. "I need to do something about him and his growth now before he develops into a serious problem. Topper, I want the council present here in an hour. Eris, check on the progress of the other three test subjects back at the castle. They should be ready to go soon."

"Whatever you say," Eris obliged with another shrug.

"I'll be conducting some tests on Bowser in the laboratory until the others arrive. I am not to be disturbed a minute sooner, understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. We got it," Eris replied as she dismissively waved her hand at Contemno. As the trio exited the room, Maldeon emerged from behind Contemno's throne. Eavesdropping from within the lion's den certainly was not his first plan. But, he should've expected it to come to this. It only made sense Maldeon would get stuck in such a position by sniffing around Contemno's throne room for clues.

"Bowser…what does that monster have in store for him?" the man wondered aloud. "Alright, Contemno. Show me where this 'laboratory' of your's is." Maldeon hurried out the door, but was cautious as he slunk down the hallway so as to avoid drawing any attention to his tailing efforts.

Maldeon followed Contemno from a safe distance as the mage hurried down the prison corridor. The latter stopped when he reached Bowser's cell.

Perfect. This was the opportune moment Maldeon was hoping for. His eyes widened however at what he saw next. Contemno rotated his wrist, and a bronze key materialized in his hand out of thin air.

 _Dammit!_ Maldeon cursed under his breath. _Don't tell me he just summons the cell key out of thin air when he needs it! How the hell am I supposed to get Bowser out on my own if he's always got the key with him?_

Distracted by his thoughts, Maldeon failed to respond in time as Contemno approached him from across the hall; towing Bowser on a chain leash behind him. The Koopa King was now sporting a blindfold over his eyes.

"Maldeon, what're you doing here?" Contemno asked.

"Who…me? I…well, umm," Maldeon hesitated. He frantically fished around in his coat pocket for something; anything that could be used as a talking piece. Grabbing hold of something, Maldeon whipped his arm back out and presented a humble red apple. Contemno's mask tilted down slightly to acknowledge it.

"I…thought the prisoner might be hungry. So I brought him a little snack."

"Did you not feed him this morning?"

"No, I did. It's just, the big guy's got quite the appetite. I thought this might help tide him over until lunch."

"I see. How thoughtful of you. You seem to be enjoying this job, I take it?" Maldeon opted to choose his words carefully. At least until he could figure out where Contemno was trying to lead him.

"I guess you could say that."

"Eris did warn you not to develop any sort of relationship with the prisoner, did she not?"

"Oh…yeah! Of course! Nothing of the sort. To me, this guy's just like a pet I have to feed every morning. Nothing more than that!" Maldeon smiled sheepishly.

Contemno didn't respond right away. A bead of sweat ran down Maldeon's face. The mask made it impossible to tell how the mage was reacting to these responses until he spoke up; but by then, it would already be too late to backpedal with any degree of subtlety. This intimidation factor was what Maldeon had come to expect from him by now. Which would make eventually challenging him directly all the more difficult.

"If I may offer a word of caution, do not grow too attached to our prisoner."

"I just said I-"

"This role will not be around for much longer." Maldeon's eyes widened. This was his chance to dig up some dirt. But how much was Contemno willing to offer?

"What do you mean?" Maldeon asked.

"I have special plans for Bowser," said Contemno. "I do not intend to keep him locked up forever. So, it will not be necessary for you to feed him forever."

"What are you going to do with him?"

"I don't believe that is any of your business."

 _Figures you would shut me out again_ … Maldeon cursed under his breath. Suddenly, a rebuttal struck him.

"Actually, it might be," he retorted.

"I beg your pardon?" said Contemno.

"Keeping Bowser fed was my role. If that's going away, I'm going to need _something_ to do around here, right? Don't I deserve to know what that is if it still involves the prisoner?"

"I already have another role for you in mind, Maldeon. But it has little to do with Bowser." Maldeon bit his tongue. He was desperate to know more, but it took everything he had to stop himself from blurting something out that might tip Contemno off to his true intentions. "I suggest you stand by until I'm ready to discuss the details with you."

"Right….I understand…," Maldeon relented. Without another word, Contemno stalked past him with Bowser in tow. Maldeon wasn't surprised to receive little acknowledgement from the Koopa King given that the latter couldn't physically see him at the moment and they couldn't very well comment on their plans in front of Contemno. Maldeon lingered in the hallway until the pair had left. He clenched his fists.

"No…you're not getting off _that_ easy…"

* * *

Contemno shut the door firmly behind him once he and Bowser were both inside. He shoved Bowser up against a wall at the opposite side of the room. Colliding with the wall must have activated a mechanism of some kind, as the entire panel slid out and scooped Bowser up underneath it; forming an instant examination table. Metallic cuff links sprouted out from the sides of the table and clutched Bowser's wrists and ankles.

Contemno approached the table and waved his hand as a large florescent lamp descended from the ceiling and flickered on. The mage removed Bowser's blindfold, and it took a minute or so for the Koopa King's eyes to adjust to the suddenly harsh light in front of him. Bowser struggled for a moment, but quickly abandoned his efforts to break free. Contemno turned his back and approached a table against the wall behind him; examining his tools.

The door cracked open slightly as Maldeon tactfully slithered into the room undetected. He crouched and crept his way behind a large metallic machine of some kind to watch from a safe distance.

"So, what're you gonna do with me, tiny?" Bowser asked.

"You shall be my guinea pig," said Contemno. "There is a substance I'm developing, and I need to know what kind of reactions it generates in the body upon ingestion."

"What, you're gonna make me drink some stuff? That's it? _That's_ your big, scary master plan?"

"That is but one of my tests. But first, I plan to monitor how your body reacts to direct injection of the substance." Bowser caught a glimpse of Contemno sanitizing and preparing a large needle of some kind.

"Well, I guess I see what the restraints are for then, if you're planning to stick a needle up my-"

"Kindly spare me your vulgar comments. I will administer a dose of anesthesia if you insist on mindlessly running your mouth."

"Then why don't you quit wasting my time already!" Bowser countered. "You think you're scary? Huh? You think you can intimidate _me_!? You're _nothing_!"

"Is that so?" Contemno replied calmly.

"Yeah, it is! You think shoving me behind bars for a few days or strapping me to a table for a little shot is gonna be enough to scare me!? Get real!"

"Have you forgotten I've nearly choked you to death twice now?"

"Like it matters! You didn't finish me off, genius! You can't go through with it and we both know it! I'm not afraid of some punk in a Halloween get-up with a few parlor tricks and mean words. If you really wanna prove how tough you are, then just _kill_ me already!" Bowser roared.

Contemno snapped his finger. Suddenly, another metal cuff link materialized over Bowser's neck; cementing his head in place. The Koopa King gritted his teeth and struggled slightly. Contemno chortled.

"I would expect nothing less of you, Bowser. After all, you've spent the vast majority of your life crafting and perfecting such a savage demeanor. It is what the world has come to expect of you, and you won't accept delivering any less. Don't worry, I don't blame you. How could I? Acting tough and fearless is all you know. You do anything and everything you can to strike fear into the hearts of others. If someone has something that you don't, you seek to tear them down so that you can raise yourself up."

"Yeah, and you're no exception you scrawny piece of-"

"You _have_ to make them fear you so that they won't question you."

"Huh?" said Bowser, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"You can't let anyone think twice about you because if they do, there's a chance they'll discover the _real_ you."

"…What are you going on about?" Suddenly, Contemno jammed a needle into Bowser's thigh. The Koopa King winced, but suppressed most of his reaction. He watched as a bottle of red liquid attached to the needle began to empty. Bowser felt a vibration in his leg at the point of impact. Something was in fact being injected into his bloodstream. But what?

"It all makes sense now," Contemno continued as he reached for another needle. "I must admit, I'm kicking myself now for not having seen it back then. Ten years ago, Princess Peach intervened during my first attempt to kill you. So I placed the job in her hands, but she refused. She didn't see you the way I did; the way I thought the rest of the world did; the very same way _you_ wanted us to see you. But I didn't understand why she couldn't kill you."

"Tch, maybe it's because she's not a psychopath like _you_...," Bowser argued. Contemno shoved another needle aggressively into Bowser's other leg. Bowser bit his tongue, but his scream still leaked out a bit. Maldeon watched on in helpless horror.

"Wrong. It is because she saw what you're _really_ like," said Contemno. "It just makes too much sense. The princess has certainly spent enough time around you to have seen it eventually."

"God, do you ever stop rambling? Get to the point already!" Contemno tenderly rotated Bowser's arm. The Koopa King froze. Contemno stabbed his arm with a third needle. With every injection, Bowser lost more control and gave into his cries of anguish. It was as if the pain was growing exponentially with each additional shot he received.

"Bowser, you try with all your might to act tough and in control. You want the entire world under your thumb because you don't want anyone to see the real you."

"Real…me?" Bowser repeated.

"You don't want anyone to see that deep down, you're just a scared, timid little child who never actually grew up."

"T-the…the hell are you talking about?" Contemno jammed yet another needle into Bowser's other arm. By now, Bowser was too weak to utter much of an audible yell at all.

"I know about it, Bowser. All of it. I know how weak and useless your father made you feel as a child and adolescent. He treated you like trash. He never believed you would live up to the family name."

"Sh-sh-shut up!" Bowser begged.

"King Morton wounded your heart, Bowser. But somewhere down the road, once you finished weeping and wallowing in your pathetic self-pity, you decided you'd had enough. You never wanted to let anyone see you in such a sorry state. More importantly, you never wanted anyone to have this much power over you ever again."

"S-stop it!" Bowser pleaded.

"You act vicious because you can't handle the way you truly feel! You're ashamed of the frightened, sad, and utterly unloved little child that forever dwells within you! As time passed, you have only struggled more and more to keep your weak, sensitive self in check!"

"Please…"

"You cried when you finally realized that your father never loved you and would never change his mind! You cried when your beloved Celia died! You desperately lashed out against Kammy and the Koopalings and your servants and guards and anyone else for that matter who's ever had the misfortune of being involved in your life! Why? It's because they dared try to console the wounded animal that you really are!"

Contemno continued on in spite of Bowser's mild whimpering and moaning. He maneuvered around the table and violently removed the first needle in Bowser's leg. The container that once housed the red liquid was empty.

"When you tried to act as a high and mighty king, you desperately sought to destroy Mario because he challenged the image you'd built for yourself. You lusted for Princess Peach, and when she didn't return your affection, you shielded your hurt feelings behind ever-growing anger and a distasteful personality."

Contemno yanked out the second needle. Bowser hardly reacted as he was too busy openly weeping on the table.

"Perhaps most important of all, you lashed out at your only son if he ever challenged your authority because you couldn't fathom the idea of Junior ever seeing the real, vulnerable you. If he did, his idealistic image of his Herculean father would shatter. You wouldn't be his hero anymore. He would never respect you, much less love you. If even your own _son_ disowned you, what purpose did garbage like you have left in this life? Junior would just be another in the long line of people in your life who had no reason to love you."

Bowser reached out towards Contemno's mask, which was just out of range. The advancement was slow and meager, so the latter wasn't threatened by it in the slightest.

"You….you _bastard_ ," Bowser muttered. "Who the hell are you? Just how do you know all of this?"

"I didn't always know. But I had more than enough time to do my homework," said Contemno. "It is true that I lack the raw, physical strength that you command, Bowser. Which is why I had to get creative. I succeed not because of my magic, though it has proven to be quite helpful. No, I succeed because of my intellect. My real power lies with wielding the truth; the kind that people like you can't bear to face. Having said all of this now, it truly does not matter if I kill you or not, now does it?"

Bowser shook his head gloomily.

"Precisely. I don't _need_ to kill you to make you fear me. I know your Achilles' heel. I take much more satisfaction out of letting you live a powerless, empty life than to end it abruptly." Contemno removed the last of the needles and scribbled something down on a clipboard.

The mage snapped his finger. All at once, the overhead light shut off, Bowser's restraints vanished, and the table flew back into the wall; leaving the drained and defeated Bowser to sprawl out on the cold tile floor. Contemno chuckled.

"I can't wait to see what fun I can have with _you_ ," he commented. Bowser lie still on the floor; silently lusting for death; a swift and painless one; the kind that Contemno seemed unwilling to grace him with now. The mage wrapped a blindfold across Bowser's empty, defeated eyes.

"Come now, on your feet," Contemno instructed. He flicked his wrist and a chain leash materialized around Bowser's neck. The Koopa King staggered slowly to his feet. "Tell me, did you enjoy his performance as much as I did, Maldeon?"

Maldeon froze in his place when he saw Contemno staring directly at him. The man backed himself up against the wall.

"You…you knew I was here?" asked Maldeon, horrified.

"Of course. It was rather obvious you would come to eavesdrop. Subtlety and deception really are not your strong suit, you know," Contemno replied playfully.

"W-what are you gonna do with Bowser?"

"I will continue conducting my experiments on him. As you can see, this stubborn mule is actually quite cooperative with the right motivation. Once he has demonstrated enough loyalty, perhaps he will become more to me than just a guinea pig." Bowser said nothing as his head hung low submissively.

"You…you won't get away with this, you maniac!" Maldeon exclaimed.

"Oh please, and who is going to challenge me? You? Ha! It is far too late for that I'm afraid," said Contemno. "It was obvious you've been conspiring with Bowser behind my back from the start. If you honestly think you can betray me now and get away with it, you are mistaken." Maldeon gritted his teeth and glared at the mask.

"Yeah? We'll see about that!" the man exclaimed. He turned on his heels and ran out of the lab as quickly as he could.

 _Bowser…I'm starting to remember you now. Just…please! Please don't forget who you are! Don't let him win! Stay strong! Remember, we're in this together!_

 _…Aren't we?_


	20. Breakthrough

**RECAP:**

 **While attempting to locate and acquire the key to Bowser's prison cell for their escape, Maldeon spied on Contemno – who was busy conducting an experiment on the Koopa King. Despite his best efforts to antagonize Contemno, Bowser fell into an emotional state of submission after the mage injected him with a mysterious red substance and brought to light the innermost secrets of Bowser's past; much to the latter's horror.**

 **After quickly being discovered by Contemno, Maldeon retreated from the laboratory in a panic; vowing to free Bowser and challenge Contemno head-on.**

* * *

"There!" A guard exclaimed. Maldeon's apartment door was blasted off its hinges as the soldiers flooded into the shadows of the room and frantically searched everywhere; the beams of their flashlights frantically flying across the walls.

"No good…he's not here," said the second guard.

"He couldn't have gotten far! Search the rest of the floor!" the first guard ordered. "Remember, Contemno wants him found at all costs!" The three guards split up and each sprinted down a separate hallway.

The third guard stopped outside a door at the end of the hallway and jiggled the knob. Locked.

He lifted his mighty axe over his shoulder and unleashed it upon the wooden structure with all his might; shattering it into pieces. The guard cautiously stepped inside. He tip-toed through the darkness as his head gradually swiveled back and forth to scan the area.

The corner of his eye caught a brief glimpse of a silhouette behind him.

Too late.

The guard suffered a hardy blow to the head and collapsed to the floor. The figure caught the axe before it completed its fall.

"This way! I heard something through there!" a guard exclaimed out in the hall. The thud of the body must've alerted the others. The shadow stood near the door, gripped the axe, and waited.

As the two remaining guards charged in, the figure severed each of them in half with one clean slice each. A red liquid spilled out onto the floor. The figure emerged into the sliver of light that was being cast from the doorway.

"So...they're not real people," said Maldeon. "This must be the same stuff that Bowser was given. Only, these guys are _made_ of it." The man rested the axe over his shoulder. "Just what kind of game is this guy playing?" Maldeon dashed out into the hall.

Maneuvering through the building and down into the basement, Maldeon stopped outside of Bowser's cell. The door was wide open, but there was no one inside.

 _Bowser…where did he take you?_

He raced back up the stairs. Chopping down a few more liquid guards along the way, Maldeon charged through the door and invaded the laboratory.

No good. The place was completely empty. Contemno wasn't experimenting on Bowser today. But why?

Maldeon set down the axe against the wall and took a moment to catch his breath. With the entire building on high alert searching for him, he knew he didn't have much time. But he needed to get some kind of understanding of what exactly Contemno was trying to accomplish. Briskly walking around the room, Maldeon stopped in front of a metallic structure. As it turned out, the "machine" he had been hiding behind yesterday wasn't a machine at all. It was a large cabinet! Grabbing his axe and chopping off the lock, Maldeon flung the doors wide open and scanned the contents inside.

His hand was drawn to a small glass vile with a cork on top. It contained a tiny sample of the infamous red liquid. If only there was some way he could figure out what this stuff was. If only he had more time…

Hearing yet another voice coming from out in the hall, Maldeon shoved the vile in his coat pocket, grabbed his axe, and prepared for more action.

As Maldeon triumphed over another set of guards, it struck him. There was one other place he could check. They _both_ had to be there. Maldeon sprinted down another flight of stairs and descended into the building's grand foyer.

Suddenly, a group of armored guards entered from all directions and surrounded him.

"Hault!" the captain exclaimed. "There's nowhere to run!"

"Who said I was running?" Maldeon retorted. "I'm actually looking for Contemno myself."

"Is that so? Well then, allow _us_ to escort you to him!" The guards all charged towards Maldeon at once. He gripped the handle firmly and wound his shoulders back; waiting for the perfect moment.

Just as a guard was about to grip his coat, Maldeon swung the axe in a wide motion; slaughtering each of the guards in one swoop and leaving only a massive red puddle in their place. Maldeon set his sights on the throne room just ahead, and sprinted inside at full speed.

* * *

"Somehow I knew you'd show your sorry face again, though I didn't think it would be so soon," a voice called out. On the opposite end of the room, Contemno lounged comfortably on his throne; his head perched up casually by his arm.

"As if I would actually run away yet," Maldeon scoffed. "We have unfinished business." He pointed to the sorry sight just next to the chair.

Bowser sat miserably on the floor near Contemno; his limbs were cuffed together by glowing purple chains and he was blindfolded once again. Maldeon didn't know why he was obsessed with doing this to Bowser, but it hardly mattered. It ended today.

"What use could you possibly have for this broken creature?" Contemno asked.

"He's the key to getting my memory back. I'm leaving, and I'm taking him with me."

"Did _he_ plant such an idea in your head? Tell me, why would you believe anything this lowly prison rat says when it was _I_ who rescued you from certain death and nursed you back to health? Would it not be wiser to just ask _me_ about your past instead?"

"Oh spare me your nonsense! If you really cared about my well-being, you wouldn't be hiding the truth from me in the first place. You're just using me as a tool for your own selfish desires. You never had any intention of helping me remember who I really am. So I'm through with you!"

"So quick to jump to conclusions…," said Contemno. "But you're bright, Maldeon. You catch on quickly. That's what I admire about you. It's why I brought you in and invited you to stay with me in the first place."

"…Huh?"

"You have potential, my boy. You have the brains and the power to take whatever you want in this world. We're more alike than you think."

"I'm _nothing_ like you!"

"Can you really be so sure of that? You're an amnesiac, Maldeon. I'm making it simple for you. Instead of sending you on a wild goose chase to catch some fleeting memories, I'm giving you a chance to start over altogether; to use your talents to get what you really want out of life." Maldeon gritted his teeth. He knew what was going on here. Contemno was trying to lure him back in. It wouldn't work. Maybe words were enough to break through Bowser's guard, but not his. Maldeon knew he had to stand his ground.

"Quit talking down to me like you know what's best for me! I'm not falling for your tricks anymore. I've already made my choice. I'm choosing to leave, and I'm taking Bowser with me. Now let him go!" Contemno chuckled, which made Maldeon's skin crawl.

"You should know I won't allow that. But tell me, why would you throw your own life away for him? He's no good to anyone. Never has been."

"He's right…," Bowser chimed in softly.

"Shut up!" Maldeon exclaimed. "Who the hell are _you_ to decide who people are or what they're worth!?"

"I've decided nothing. Bowser knew the truth all along and refused to accept it until now," said Contemno.

"I may not know everything about Bowser since I only met him a few days ago. But I know that Bowser has been trying to change who he was all this time, and he has every right to try. It doesn't matter what you're like when you're born. Anyone can change whenever they want. But Contemno, you have no right to toy with people's lives like this!"

"And what gives you the authority to decide that?"

"Because you've done the same thing to me," Maldeon countered. He shoved back his sleeve and examined the scar on his arm. "You injected me with the same liquid that you gave Bowser. You're trying to do something to me too. This is why my memory's messed up, isn't it?"

"It was to heal you."

"No, it was to imprison me. You did something to make me forget who I was. If I was clueless, I would depend on you to help me remember; to give me the answers I wanted. You would lead me on like this forever. I would never get what I wanted, and you would get a loyal little 'yes man' out of it. But what I don't understand is why. Why didn't you just torture me and lock me up too? What makes me so different from Bowser? If you know the truth about who I am, why don't you just use it to tear me down like you did to him!?"

"I wanted you to leave the past behind so you could build a better life for yourself."

" _THIS_ IS BETTER!?" Maldeon exclaimed. "Making me into just another one of your little lackeys!? Keeping me locked up in this tower for the rest of my life!? Leaving me to feel lost and broken the way I do!? To hell with all of this! I'm going to remember who I was before you came into my life, and Bowser's going to help me do it!"

"Your delusion astounds me…," said Contemno. The mage slowly rose from his chair. Maldeon tightly clenched his weapon. "But if you will not choose to stand with me of your own volition, then perhaps I shall tear you down as well!"

Contemno thrusted his arm forward as Maldeon stared him down. A series of chains appeared and flew towards Maldeon. The man ducked and dodged around them. As they closed the distance, Maldeon swung his axe and diced the serpents into inanimate pieces.

Maldeon charged towards Contemno. The mage stood his ground patiently. Maldeon swung his axe. To his surprise, Contemno made no attempt to dodge it. Instead, he met the blade head-on with his hand. He managed to stop the blade mid-swing with only his arm. Maldeon retracted the axe, took a step back, and lunged forward again to launch another attack.

Once again, Contemno blocked the attack with his hand. A red stain grew on the mage's gloved hand; most likely from a deep cut caused by the axe. But if it was possible to injure Contemno, why wasn't he flinching? Why did he seem to feel no pain?

"Tell me you don't honestly hope to defeat me with such a barbaric approach," said Contemno. Maldeon had nothing to respond with. He couldn't let Contemno get under his skin anymore. The man continued to swing his axe from different angles and aim for different body parts. But Contemno's hand was there to stop him at every turn.

Meanwhile, Bowser sat quietly near the throne and did nothing. He seemed eerily unfazed by the fight that was unfolding. Just what did Contemno do to him?

Contemno clapped his hands together. In the space between, he summoned a long, menacing, violet blade. Contemno took to the air and dove towards Maldeon. The man held the axe's handle in front of him to block the attack. When the sword reached him, it cut the axe into pieces effortlessly. Maldeon fell backward to the floor as Contemno now loomed over him.

"So, Maldeon. Do you still think you have a chance of escape, and with Bowser no less?" Contemno taunted. Maldeon gritted his teeth.

"He's right, Maldeon…," Bowser chirped quietly. "Forget about me. Save yourself…" Maldeon clenched his fist and pounded the ground.

"Bowser, snap out of it already!" the man yelled angrily. "Come on! Where's the cold, ruthless prisoner I first met a few days ago!? Where's the evil genius who helped me see through Contemno's lies!? Don't tell me you're taking back what you said before!" Bowser raised an eyebrow.

"…What I said?"

"I _know_ you still remember…"

 _"I guess I was just trying to act scary to intimidate you. I do that to everybody, you see. It's a bit of an old habit. I've spent nearly a decade trying to break it. But, you know how it is. Some old things just die hard."_

"Bowser, you said it yourself. Old habits die hard. That means you've still got it in you somewhere," Maldeon reasoned. "SHOW IT TO ME NOW!"

"Enough of this!" Contemno exclaimed. He charged towards Maldeon, who rolled out of the way of the sword's path.

"Old habits…?" Bowser repeated. "Old…habits….old habits….old…habits…" Suddenly, Bowser felt a violent pulse within his chest and clenched it with his claws. It felt as though his insides were on fire. Memories blurred his vision as the Koopa King toppled over in pain. It was all coming back to him. He remembered everything.

His hatred of Mario.

 _"What're you smiling about, **plumber**? This fight's not over yet!"_

His unreturned feelings for Peach.

 _"Yeah right. Don't try to lead me on with your petty 'what-if's,' Peach. We both know it's **too late** for you to have feelings for me."_

His eternal promise to Celia.

 _"I'll keep our **promise** no matter what."_

His love for Junior.

 _"I care about you more than anything else in the world, **Junior** ,"_

His respect for Kammy.

 _"I yell at you when you don't deserve it. I've treated you like a slave for so long when I should've treated you like a **friend**. You're always thinking about what's best for me, and I never give you the **respect** you deserve for that."_

The last thing he told Rosalina.

 _"Just that you still don't trust me. You don't see me as anything more than just a **monster** like everybody else."_

Bowser suddenly remembered it all; including his own series of victories over the likes of King Morton, the lava serpent atop the crystal mountain, the stone golems of the wasteland, Smithy, O'Chunks, Midbus, and the Dark Star among many others. How could he give up now after how much he's been through? How could he let one person tear him down after how much he's grown?

Never. It would never happen.

Never again.

Bowser violently ripped the chains to set his wrists free. He stood up, ripped off the blind fold, and roared with all of his might. The very foundation of the building shook. A furious blaze of fire emerged from his mouth. Bowser's heart was racing. It felt as though he were about to collapse at any second. But the adrenaline; the pure rush, it was too much to stop now.

Out of nowhere, a glowing crimson lock materialized over Bowser's chest. Red chains sprouting out from all sides of it wrapped themselves around Bowser's shell and waist.

"No! This can't be!" Contemno exclaimed.

Bowser glanced down and examined the lock.

"…Huh? The hell is this?" he asked. Bowser gripped the lock in his hands and tugged at it with all of his might. The burning in his chest intensified. It felt as though this lock was connected to his heart somehow. By pulling on it, Bowser could feel immense strain on his body.

But still Bowser continued to pull. His heart pounded furiously as if it were building up to explode. The lock's chains glowed brighter and tightened against the Koopa King's body. The pain was sapping away at his strength, but it wasn't fast enough. Bowser gritted his teeth as smoke leaked out from his mouth.

"If you don't stop this now, you'll-" Contemno warned. But before he could finish his threat, Bowser roared once more. With one final tug, the chains shattered and Bowser ripped the lock off his stomach.

"You…rotten…," Bowser growled. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, rat. BUT I'LL TEACH YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE KOOPA KING!"

Bowser sprinted across the room and snatched Contemno up off the ground with one hand. He glared into the eye sockets of the mask.

"Let's see that real face of your's, coward!" Bowser exclaimed as he reached for the mask with his free hand.

"I'm afraid not," Contemno replied. The mage flicked his wrist. Suddenly, the throne levitated in the air and flew towards Bowser. The impact caused the structure to crumble into pieces; burying Bowser underneath. Contemno appeared out of thin air, unscathed.

"Bowser!" Maldeon shouted as he raced over to dig him out.

"It's a shame, but it appears Bowser truly is a lost cause after all…," said Contemno. "You idiotic beast. If you really wish to stand against me, fine. But know this, Maldeon." The man looked up at the call of his name. "I already gave you what you wanted most. Without me, it'll never truly be your's…"

"…What?" Maldeon replied. Contemno clapped his hands together. Unruly purple lightning danced between his gloves. The mage slammed his palms down onto the ground with all his might.

Suddenly, the entire building began to erupt. Shards of the ceiling fell broke apart and shattered on the floor as they fell. Large cracks slithered along the walls and tore the room's foundation apart. The pillars that held the building together began to split.

"We'll meet again," said Contemno. He disappeared into thin air just before a large piece of rubble could crush him.

Fighting to keep his balance between the tremors and the building falling apart around him, Maldeon managed to dig Bowser out of the pile of rubble and stone.

"Bowser? Bowser! Wake up!" said Maldeon. The Koopa King's eyes cracked open, though he appeared to still be in a daze.

"Ma…," Bowser started.

"We don't have time for this! C'mon! Let's move!" Maldeon tugged Bowser up onto his feet, gripped his wrist tightly, and sprinted for the exit. He frantically dashed through seemingly endless corridors. Turning left and right and backtracking at every dead end.

Some halls ended with no doors or windows to be found, while others were blocked by the falling rubble. But still, Maldeon refused to quit. In spite of his fatigue, and in spite of Bowser's minimal effort to keep up, Maldeon pressed on. He coughed and wheezed from the dust and toxic fumes that permeated the air. They sucked the air from his lungs, but his adrenaline and drive remained unshaken.

Bowser could hardly process what was happening. His vision was blurry and sounds were nothing but distorted, distant echoes in his hears. Amidst the numbness, Bowser could feel someone grabbing his arm, but his entire focus was on keeping his legs moving as a force guided him through the collapsing corridors.

As the pair neared the main entrance, an enormous stone pillar fell from above and barricaded the exit. As the cloud of dust dissipated, Maldeon's mind raced. They were running out of time. The man released Bowser's arm and left the latter to stand there in a daze. Maldeon pushed smaller pieces of rubble from around the room and stacked them to reach the top of the fallen pillar. He pulled Bowser closer.

Through the distortion, Bowser could barely make out the words that were being spoken to him. Something about…climbing? Maldeon shoved Bowser up onto the rubble stack with all his might. Looking up, the Koopa King caught a glimpse of light just over the pillar. It called to him, and in the moment he found himself eager to embrace it. Regaining another fraction of consciousness, Bowser put his motor skills into overdrive as he climbed up onto the pillar and hurled himself over to the other side. Maldeon was quick to follow.

Beyond the fallen pillar, Maldeon set out into a sprint in the final stretch as he pulled the two of them through the building's main entrance seconds before the doorframe caved in. Maldeon and Bowser poured out into the street nearby.

* * *

It was the cold, gentle patter of rain that slowly woke Maldeon minutes later. The road had been flooded with water, so he found his clothes to be drenched and damp. The man took several deep breaths as he savored the crispness of the fresh air and allowed nature to rejuvenate him. Then he stood up once he felt refreshed enough to move again, and he immediately looked back at the disaster from moments ago.

The building was completely gone, and nothing but a mountain of rubble remained. It all happened so fast. Only powerful magic could bring down an entire building so quickly; and leave behind little evidence of its existence, no less. Maldeon searched around but there were no signs of any casualties. It's as if the entire populace of the building had cleared out before the entire place caved in. Whatever secrets Contemno had been keeping in this place, they were hopelessly buried in the mess. It would take days, maybe even weeks for Maldeon to sort through it all by himself. Was it even worth it now?

Bowser finally came back into reality a moment later.

"Ugghh…what the heck was-?" Bowser started. He froze when he spotted Maldeon and his eyes widened.

"Bowser, you okay?" Maldeon asked.

"Ma…Ma…Ma...!"

"Sheesh, what's gotten into you?"

"MARIO!? WHAT'RE _YOU_ DOING HERE!?" Bowser exclaimed. Maldeon gave him a puzzled expression.

"'Mario?' Who's Mario?" asked Maldeon.

"Whaddya mean 'who's Mario!?' _You_ are!" Bowser continued. "I'd recognize those wide blue eyes, that stupid big nose, and that ridiculous mustache anywhere! But…I don't understand! How did you-? When did you-? W-where's Maldeon!?"

"I'm standing right in front of you!" Maldeon argued.

"No…this is…this can't be…," the Koopa King muttered deliriously. He fell back onto a piece of rubble and shook his head. Maldeon took a step towards him, but found he had no words to offer. Bowser chuckled, which left the man unsettled. "I get it. It all makes sense now," he declared.

"Not to me, it doesn't. You mind filling me in?" Maldeon asked. Bowser stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Wow…you _really_ don't know who you are, do you?"

"I thought I made that pretty clear already."

"It's no wonder I didn't recognize you sooner. I've never actually _seen_ your face until just now," Bowser explained. "Any time I wasn't talking to you through the wall of my cell, I was blindfolded or completely out of it."

"Contemno must've wanted it that way for some reason…"

"And it's no wonder your voice wasn't familiar. You don't talk. Ever. So when you did and I couldn't see your face, I had no problem believing you were someone else."

"Well, since you clearly know, I need you to tell me. Bowser, who am I?" Bowser groaned and ran his hand across his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"You have no idea how hard this is for me right now…"

"Bowser, we made a deal. I got you out of there. You agreed to help me get my memory back. Since you know who I am, I need you to tell me everything."

"I know, I know. I got that part. It's just…"

"Just what?" Bowser laughed hardily again and shook his head.

"It's taking everything I have not to lie to you right now and say you were my henchman; that you helped me with all of my schemes back in the old days." Maldeon wasn't sure how to respond to this. "But, Peach would knock me out if I blatantly lied to you like that. She's worked so hard to change me…"

"Peach…?" Maldeon repeated. Bowser shook his head once more and stood up.

"Alright, fine. I'll tell you the truth. But get ready, because this is gonna be one helluva pill for you to swallow."

"I can take it," said Maldeon. He turned and surveyed the area. The rain poured on, but not a soul was around to witness anything that had just happened. The pair was safe from danger for the moment, but this was hardly the place to have a lengthy conversation. Maldeon's thoughts were interrupted by a rather unsettling gurgling sound.

"Sheesh, I don't know what happened to me back there, but it must've burned through whatever was left of the breakfast I was still digesting," said Bowser. "I'm starving!"

"I could eat too. Let's get out of this rain and find a restaurant somewhere. You can bring me up to speed over a meal."

The pair made their way down the street into the glowing, fluorescent heart of the city where an untold future awaited them.

* * *

Bowser Jr. wandered aimlessly around the outskirts of Shooting Star Summit to clear his mind. Having finished reading the book that had been assigned to him, Junior was anxious to begin his own one-on-one session with Merlon. He was dumbfounded by how long it was taking for the others to finish up. There was so much he wanted to do. So much he felt he _had_ to do.

The Koopa Prince recognized the importance of being patient. But there was so much at stake right now to ever be content with waiting around and doing nothing. Junior looked to the sky in hopes of losing himself to it and easing his troubled mind for the moment. His eyes latched onto a shooting star and followed it as it soared through the air before vanishing. As he returned to earth, he caught a glimpse of something that seemed immediately out of the ordinary.

Junior turned and discovered a strange purple puddle on the ground nearby. Somehow, it managed to clash with the already violet tint of the summit's terrain. Junior stepped closer to examine it. The substance was sticky, and slight effort was required at first to free Junior's claw when he touched it. Where on earth did this stuff come from? Better yet, what _was_ it?

The Koopa Prince's eyes continued to scan the puddle for several minutes. He circled the circumference of the mess to see it from all angles. At last, he found a more promising clue. There was an object buried underneath all of this adhesive mess. Junior quickly abandoned any hope of sorting through the substance unscathed as he dug and peeled away at its many layers. With purple claws now smelling of something foul, Junior yanked the object free from its sticky prison. It turned out to be two objects. Junior held them in his hands and his heart nearly stopped.

They were two black arm bands with spikes protruding out in all directions. There was no mistaking it. These belonged to Bowser.

As the realization hit him, Junior's arms twitched and he nearly dropped the arm bands. What on earth were these doing all the way out here? The only logical explanation was that Bowser must've been here at some point. But why?

The Koopa Prince's mind raced as he scrambled to put the pieces together. It had something to do with this sticky, purple substance. Whoever or _whatever_ made this stuff, it found Bowser. Now it was no wonder why Bowser had been MIA since the exam. He left for the council meeting, but now he was surely in some kind of danger. This purple substance proved it.

Junior turned and raced back in the direction of Merlon's house; clutching the clues tightly against his chest. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.


	21. Matters of Trust

**RECAP:**

 **With nowhere left to run, Maldeon confronted Contemno directly. He demanded Bowser be set free, and accused Contemno of manipulating Maldeon himself and his memories as well for a malicious purpose. Conflict erupted, and with Maldeon's words, Bowser was able to break out of the mental slump he had fallen into the day before.**

 **He recalled the many bonds he had formed over the course of his life and reclaimed his older, tyrannical self as well. A mysterious red lock of some kind materialized on Bowser's chest. This seemed to alarm Contemno for some reason. In a blaze of fury, Bowser managed to rip the device off and attacked Contemno directly.**

 **Contemno narrowly eluded harm and brought the entire building down in the process. With Maldeon taking the lead, the pair managed to escape from the collapsing building around them. In utter shock and disbelief, Bowser recognized Maldeon as someone else altogether…Mario! The Koopa King agreed to inform the still-amnesiac Mario of his entire history over a meal as the two ventured into the city.**

 **Meanwhile, Bowser Jr. discovered Bowser's arm bands trapped in a puddle of purple adhesive slime on the outskirts of Shooting Star Summit. With this clue, he was more determined than ever to crack this case wide open!**

* * *

"Oh, man. I didn't think that would be such a work-out…," Larry moaned as he collapsed to the floor, panting immensely.

"Gimme a break," said Roy. "It couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"Easy for you to say!" Larry argued as he stood up in a hurry. "You haven't trained with the old guy yet. He's intense when he wants to be!" Roy smirked. "What, what's with that look?"

"Nothin'. Just pretty typical of you, Larry. Our poor baby bro just doesn't have what it takes. No wonder you and Junior are so close!" Roy taunted with a laugh.

"Yeah? We'll see who's laughing when I blow you away with this awesome new power I just learned!" Larry thrusted out his arm and immediately winced and began to crumple over.

"Yeah, sure," said Roy as he helped Larry stand up again. "Maybe when you're not so sore. Better put some ice on that for now, Rawk Hawk."

"Guys!" Junior exclaimed as he burst through the front door.

"Hey, Junior. What's up?" Larry greeted.

"Is Iggy still down in the basement?" the Koopa Prince asked between breaths.

"Uhh…yeah. I think so," said Roy.

"Good! Call everybody down there now!"

"Huh?" Larry replied.

"Emergency meeting!" Junior called back as he sprinted down the stairs.

In the basement, Junior slid across the floor and practically collided with a startled Iggy, who was seated at his work desk.

"Woah, woah! Easy, Junior! Where's the fire?"

"Iggy, I need you to look at something," Junior blurted out. The Koopaling's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh…uhh, alright. What is it?" Junior shoved the slime-covered arm bands at his sibling.

"I need you to run some tests. Y'know, do some of your science-y stuff. Figure out what this purple stuff is."

"Well…sure. No problem. I just finished getting all of my machines up and running. But, what are these? Where did you find them?"

"Further out on the mountain. I'm pretty sure they're my dad's." Larry, Roy, Peach and Toad each descended the staircase and took a seat around the large table.

"What's this about an emergency?" Peach asked.

"I think my dad might be in danger. In fact, I'm positive he is," Junior answered. "I have his arm bands."

"And you just…carry those around with you?" Toad asked with a hint of disgust.

"No! He never takes them off. But, I think he might've been kidnapped and he left these behind as some sort of clue."

"Well, that would explain why we haven't heard anything from him since he left the castle," said Larry. "But, who would want to kidnap Bowser?"

"And what was he doing all the way out here?" Roy inserted.

"Believe me, I intend to get to the bottom of this. Just…give me a minute," said Iggy as he swiveled around in his chair and frantically began typing away on his keyboard.

"Well, I know why Bowser was here at the very least," said Peach. Everyone in the room turned to her.

"Seriously!?" Junior exclaimed angrily as he could feel his disdain towards Peach coming to a boil once more. "How much are you hiding from us, princess!?" Peach elected to ignore this jab and relay what she knew. Junior was tired of letting her get away with this.

"At the last council meeting, we agreed to let Bowser conduct his own investigation into everything that's been happening," Peach began. "Rosalina accompanied him and the last time I saw them, they were on their way back to her observatory. Shooting Star Summit is the fastest way to get there. What happened after that is anyone's guess."

"I'd bet a block full of coins Contemno had something to do with it," Roy suggested.

"Or that Eris lady from back in the forest. Man, she gave me the creeps," said Larry.

"Junior, did you happen to find anything out there which might suggest what happened to Rosalina?" Peach asked.

"No, just the arm bands," Junior denied.

"Well, this is certainly one heck of a puzzle Contemno has constructed," Iggy commented. "But, a single piece may be all we need to help us start putting everything together."

"Did you find something Iggy?" the Koopa Prince asked.

"Two things," Iggy confirmed as he stood up and began to pace back and forth. "The first is that you're right, Junior. These arm bands do in fact belong to your father. They're covered in his DNA, although the odor alone is a dead giveaway. The second thing has to do with the mysterious purple substance the bands are covered with."

"You know what it is?" Larry inquired.

"Well…not exactly. I don't have my same complete substance database to refer to here as I did back home. So, finding an exact match is difficult. However, this chemical has very unique properties. When exposed to heat, the substance boils and becomes acidic; able to burn through…probably most surfaces, I suspect. It's also highly toxic to ingest, and the elasticity characteristic is probably its most defining, albeit despicable feature."

"What does _any_ of that mean?" Roy asked bluntly. Iggy groaned.

"Basically, it burns stuff when hot, don't eat it, and it's so incredibly sticky that having any part of it touch you will probably ruin your whole day."

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?"

"We just need to determine who or what produces this chemical; find out where it comes from. If nothing else, that might give us a hint as to where Bowser and Rosalina were taken."

"Do you have any ideas yourself, Iggy?" Peach asked.

"Well, this stuff certainly isn't found anywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom," Iggy explained. "Heck, I doubt it's found anywhere on earth for that matter. If I had to guess, I'd wager that the creature that produces this substance…probably comes from the moon."

"The moon!?" Toad repeated, utterly astonished.

"Are you saying we have to find some way to get to the _moon_ now?" Larry asked.

"Relax, it's just a theory. We'll need more concrete evidence before we even think of staging such an elaborate expedition," said Iggy.

"Actually, you may be right, Iggy," said Peach. Junior gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and glared at her once more. But the princess once again ignored him.

"How so?" Iggy replied.

"I thought I recognized this substance when I first saw those arm bands. But now, I'm certain. This is the handiwork of the Broodals."

"'Broodals?' Roy echoed. Peach nodded.

"When Bowser once tried to stage a wedding for him and me, the Broodals were the hired wedding planners," Peach elaborated. "They were rabbits who came from the moon. I remember seeing one of them…well…'exhale' this exact same chemical when he fought Mario."

"How come none of us have heard of these guys before?" Larry asked.

"We were on vacation at the time, remember?" said Roy. "Bowser paid for it and everything. Although, he didn't tell us that the special 'project' he was working on was a _wedding_ of all things…"

"But if these losers were working with Bowser back then, why would they turn on him now?" Larry wondered.

"They must be in leagues with Contemno," Toad suggested. "Whatever Bowser was paying them, Contemno must've been offering just a little bit more."

"Skip the theories," said Junior. "Why don't we just ask our all-knowing princess over here?"

"…Excuse me?" Peach replied.

"How do you know about all of this stuff? Just how much are you hiding from us?"

"It was just a coincidence, I-"

"Since you seem to know everything, why don't you save us some time and just tell us where my dad is then? Or Mario? I bet you probably know who Contemno actually is too and you're just not telling us for some reason. Come on! Spill! What else aren't you telling us here!?"

"Junior, settle down," said Iggy.

"Why should I? Why am I the only one here who sees how strange this is? We were in the dark about _all_ of this when Contemno first showed up. But as soon as Peach comes along, she suddenly has an answer for everything!"

"How exactly is that a bad thing?" Larry inserted. "She knows important stuff that we don't. She's helping us."

"How do we know we can trust her? What if she's planning on leading us into some sort of trap? She could be working with Contemno for all we know!"

"That's ridiculous!" Peach objected.

"Is it?"

"Yes! Why would I ever work with Contemno after he's hurt so many people I care about!?"

"Because that's what you two have in common! You would know all about hurting someone, wouldn't you!?" Peach gasped.

"Junior, what is your damage!?" Roy inserted, though he too was ignored.

"What on earth are you talking about!?" Peach exclaimed.

"Don't act like you don't remember!"

"…Remember what?"

"YOU IMPRISONED MY DAD FOR 10 YEARS, YOU WITCH!" Junior lashed out suddenly at the top of his lungs. The room fell silent. Junior grounded himself firmly in the moment.

"…I-"

"You took him away from me! You took our leader from all of us!" Junior put one foot up onto the table as he continued his tirade. "I don't know what kind of brain-washing you did to him, but it doesn't matter now! All I know is, he's never been the same again and it's ALL **_YOUR_** FAULT!"

"Junior…I-"

"Save it! Maybe the rest of you are all so desperate that you'll listen to anything Peach says, but I'll be dead and buried six-feet underground before I _ever_ trust her!" Junior leaped off his chair and stormed up the stairs.

Not a single remaining soul in the room could find words to utter in the eerie stillness of this moment. The remnants of the table were desperate to look at Peach. But they forced themselves to avert their eyes and give her a moment to collect herself.

Shame rained down over Peach, and covering her quivering lips with her hand was all she could do to mask her breaking spirit.

"I mean…he's not wrong. Peach _did_ kinda force Bowser to stay at her place for a whole decade…," said Larry.

"It was to _help_ him," Peach defended as she shook her head in irritation.

"We know that," said Roy. "Losing our leader is one thing. But Bowser is Junior's father. You swooped in and ripped him right out of the kid's hands."

"I didn't do it to hurt him. I was trying to protect Bowser from Contemno. I even promised Junior I wouldn't hurt Bowser."

"We know you had good intentions, Peach," said Iggy. He removed his glasses and began to polish them with a cloth as he spoke. "And we're not saying you didn't make the best choice, given how we have come to understand what the circumstances were like at the time." The Koopaling put his glasses back over his eyes. "But you need to understand that Junior can be a bit…fragile when it comes to trust. He's been that way for as long as we've known him."

"Can you blame him? He lost his mom when he was only three years old," Larry reasoned. "And after what his dad turned into after that…"

"Well, it certainly didn't help matters any when Bowser lied to Junior and convinced him that I was his mother," Peach added as she attempted to partially deflect some of the blame off of herself. "But regardless, what am I supposed to do? Junior is your elected leader of this group, right? How am I supposed to be part of this team if no one will listen to me?"

"It's not us whom you need to convince. The rest of us don't really have much of a choice but to believe everything you've told us thus far," said Iggy. "After all, you knew about Merlon, this place, the Broodals, and about Bowser when none of us did. I suspect it's not so much that Junior doesn't believe you. I'm sure he's heard what you've said and that it makes sense to him too. But the problem is, Junior is clearly still so upset over what you did to Bowser that he doesn't _want_ to believe you."

"How can I change his mind?"

"Honestly, I really don't know…"

"Well, you can't exactly take back the last 10 years," said Roy.

"But, you've surprised us a bunch up until now, princess," Larry offered. "I'm sure you'll think of something." Peach slowly stood up from the table.

"Well, I should at least try to talk to him," said Peach. The remnants of the table watched in silence as she ascended the stairs.

* * *

Bowser and Maldeon maneuvered their way through an endless bustling crowd in what seemed to be the city's main square. Strangely, not a soul in this sea of trench coats and umbrellas batted an eye at Bowser despite his abnormally large size. It was as if this rain had placed everyone in a trance; like their senses had been deprived of meaningful stimulation for so long that they no longer saw anything but the path that stretched out a step or two in front of them.

Maldeon was relieved that no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Yet, it also felt eerie to be walking through a current of emotionless zombies. He couldn't help but wonder what the story was with this place. Who were these people? Where were they going? What kind of lives were they actually living in this cold, perpetually drenched, concrete jungle? There was something strange about the deafness, the fogginess, and the blindness of it all. Yet, it was perhaps this very same phenomenon which allowed Maldeon and Bowser to stroll right past these people without causing any commotion.

The pair found a dead-end street where the crowds began to thin out at last. A few feet away sat a battered, rather miserable-looking little diner. It blended in with the fog and the darkness of the night, but an obnoxiously bright neon red sign flickered and glowed from atop. In a rather seductive cursive font, the diner was named _The Comatose_.

Maldeon and Bowser entered the establishment and found that there wasn't a soul around. Every table was well-kept, but empty. There was no sound to be heard save for the now distant, gentle patter of rain on the windows. The pair lingered at the counter near the front, which had been left unattended.

"You think they're closed?" Bowser wondered aloud as he propped himself up against the counter.

"Maybe, but it doesn't seem very smart to leave the lights on and the front door unlocked...," Maldeon replied.

"Whatever, let's ditch this joint and go somewhere else," said Bowser.

"Hang on!" a voice rang out from across the room. Maldeon and Bowser watched as a young woman sprinted frantically from the backroom; propelling herself over the bar with one arm and skidding across the tile floor near them. She took a moment to catch her breath as the duo eyeballed her.

The slender woman was dressed in loose-fitting jeans which were torn at the knees, a slightly wrinkled white undershirt and an olive green, leather mini jacket. Her short, black hair was untamed except for the portion that was smothered underneath the red and white baseball cap atop her head. She couldn't have been older than 25. Her jaw bounced and her lips smacked loudly as she nonchalantly chewed her gum. To Maldeon and Bowser, this was a far cry from the kind of woman they'd expect to be the waitress of a diner.

"What can I do for you boys?" she asked with a only a hint of interest in her tone.

"Uhh...table for two, please," said Maldeon. The woman eyeballed each of them for a second as if something bothered her. Then she grabbed two menus from behind the desk and motioned for the pair to follow her.

"Bless you for coming out in public," she commented sarcastically. Bowser's cheeks lit up in a bright shade of red.

"W-WHAT!? N-NO WAY! HE'S NOT-," the Koopa King erupted.

"We're not-," Maldeon joined in.

"Relax, sweetheart. It was a joke," said the woman casually.

Maldeon and Bowser each took a seat on opposite sides of a booth in the corner of the diner near the window. It was a tight squeeze for the latter, and Bowser was certain the spikes on his shell punctured a few holes in the upholstery on his way in. The waitress either didn't notice, or didn't care seeing as how the booth was already in pretty bad shape to begin with when they arrived.

"Drinks?" the waitress asked.

"Just water is fine," Maldeon answered.

"Chuckola cola," said Bowser. The woman stared at him once more. This was beginning to irritate Bowser.

"Something wrong with that?" the Koopa King inquired.

"You want some rum in that cola? You boys look like hell." Bowser ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Sure…," he agreed. The waitress nodded and departed for the backroom. Bowser patted his hips and frowned. "Oh crud…"

"What's wrong?" Maldeon asked.

"I don't have any money," he admitted. Maldeon fished around in his coat pocket and pulled out a few coins.

"I think I can cover it. I just hope they take coins here…"

"So long as it's money," the waitress answered out of nowhere. She placed the drinks down on the table and pulled out a notepad with a pen.

"What'll it be?" she asked. Maldeon and Bowser scrambled with the menus that they hadn't even had a chance to look at yet.

"We might need a few minutes," said Maldeon. Bowser squinted and did a double-take as he read the prices.

"Seriously? _Twenty-five_ coins for a stinkin' burger?" he commented.

"Hey, a girl's gotta make this joint profitable somehow," said the waitress with a casual shrug.

"Wait…are you saying you're the owner of this place?" Maldeon inquired. She nodded.

"And the cook, and the waitress, and the bookkeeper, and the cleaning crew."

"That's insane. How do you manage all of that?" Her hand guided their attention through the scope of the empty diner.

"Simple. This place is my baby. Ain't no one on this earth who knows how to care for her better than me."

"So you don't… _let_ anyone else work here?"

"That sound crazy to you, sweetheart?"

"Sure does," Bowser interjected with a chortle. "But hey, if even _half_ of that passion gets channeled into your cooking, then this better be the best damn burger I'll ever taste." She smirked as she took his menu. The glint in her eye seemed to express her excitement to accept such a challenge.

"Make that two," said Maldeon as he handed her his menu. She flashed them a small smile and strolled out of view. Maldeon took a sip of his water and exhaled. "Alright, lay it on me."

"Oh, right," said Bowser as he tried to wipe away a slightly startled expression. Perhaps he was trying to hide the fact that he'd almost forgotten why they were there in the first place. "What do you wanna know first, Mario?"

"Let's start there. Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because that's your actual name, duh. I don't know where this 'Maldeon' crap came from, but you better drop it. We're done with that from here on out," said Bowser.

"Oh…right. Well, how did we first meet?" Bowser massaged his chin.

"Hmmm….let's see…"

Bowser went on to tell Mario about their grand, long-standing rivalry. He wove a lengthy tail of endless fights, kidnappings of Peach, stakes that gradually escalated over the years up into the galaxy, and the handful of team-ups along the way. The Koopa King also described the many sports tournaments and parties they'd partaken in along the way. The story continued even after their food had arrived. Bowser occasionally took breaks to eat, but still he continued to talk.

Though Bowser went on and on, the blank stares he was getting from Mario the entire time didn't inspire much confidence that this was working. The plumber seemed to be nodding occasionally for formality's sake and nothing more.

I guess that's about it," Bowser concluded. "So? How do you feel? Is any of this ringin' a bell?" Mario sighed and shook his head as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his empty plate away a few inches.

"No. I mean, it sounds familiar. But I just can't remember any of the details. Not the way you described them."

"What, so you think I'm lying?"

"I didn't say that. I'm trying my best here, Bowser. Honest. But it's just not clicking." Bowser groaned.

"Sheesh, what the hell did he do to you?" Mario's eyes fell by the wayside.

"I wish I knew…"

"Well…at least quit moping about it!" Bowser exclaimed as he pounded the table. Mario shot up at the tremor. "I mean, for crying out loud! You're Mario! You don't give up! That's like, you're most obnoxious trait!"

"Bowser, if we were enemies before, like you said..." Bowser fell silent as he waited for him to finish. "Then, why are you helping me? You know, aside from our deal and all. If you're really as bad as you say, then what stopped you from ditching me the second you saw who I was?" Bowser sighed and glanced out the window. He clenched his soda bottle tightly in one hand.

"I'm not doing it because I care about you or anything like that. After all the crap you've put me through over the years, you could drop dead for all I care." Mario watched Bowser's grip tighten as the bitter sentiment leaked from Bowser's lips. Tiny cracks began to form in the glass. He anticipated the bottle would shatter any moment now.

"Then why?" Mario asked.

"It's for Peach. I promised her I'd find you and bring you home," said Bowser. Mario stared blankly at him. "Oh come on, your wife. We just went over this."

"Yeah, I know. But come to think of it, you never mentioned how you ended up all the way out here in the first place," said Mario.

"Well, the search didn't exactly go as planned…" The Koopa King went on to explain his expedition with Rosalina to Shooting Star Summit before they were suddenly attacked by the Broodals. "Next thing I knew, I was in Contemno's throne room; practically being forced to kiss the bastard's feet."

"What happened to this 'Rosalina' person?" Bowser shook his head.

"Not a clue."

"And these attackers. The... 'Broodals,' was it? They sound familiar," Mario commented as he rubbed his head.

"Yeah well, unless you can remember why, that doesn't do us much good," Bowser objected bitterly. He took one final swig of his soda and squeezed the bottle again. "Jeez, this is such a pain in the ass. I actually managed to find you and we escaped with our lives. But even if I get you home, it won't matter if you can't remember anything. Just what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, like you said. We can't give up," Mario replied. "We'll think of something."

The waitress returned and collected the empty plates from the table. Bowser noticed that she was eerily quiet all of a sudden.

"Oh, right. How much do I owe ya?" Mario asked as he pulled out the coins from his pocket once again. The waitress placed the bill down on the table in front of him; again, without uttering a word.

"Something wrong?" Bowser asked as he noticed her frown. The waitress paused, then suddenly flipped the check over and revealed something sketched in pen on the back. It appeared to be a map.

"Go to the edge of town," she said at last. Mario and Bowser each stared at her.

"…H-huh?" Mario repeated.

"There," she continued as she pointed to an "x" on the map at the end of a series of winding arrows. The pair followed her finger.

"There's an old abandoned building there at the edge of town. Go there," the woman explained.

"…Why?" Bowser asked.

"It'll make sense when you get back."

"Back? Back where? You mean here?" Mario probed. She nodded.

"Uhh…why would we come back here?" asked Bowser. "I mean, the food was decent but-"

"I'll take this as payment for now," the waitress declared as she snatched up the pile of coins. Mario's eyes widened when he realized he had accidentally placed the vile of Contemno's serum down on the table amongst the coins.

"Hey wait! Give that back! We need it!" he exclaimed.

"Then you'll have no problem coming back for it, huh?"

"Hey, what the hell is goin' on here!?" Bowser exclaimed. "Are you hustling us or something!?"

"You boys aren't from around here. That's clear as day. Well…not like any day we've had around these parts anyway." Bowser stood up and towered over the waitress.

"Yeah? So what? You think that means you can rob us or something?" Mario was amazed at how utterly unfazed this woman was by Bowser's attempt to intimidate her.

"Never said I was robbin' you, sweetheart," the waitress defended.

"Maybe you better explain what's going on then," Mario retorted. She sighed and shook her head.

"Just go to the place on the map. Find something for me and bring it back here. Then we'll talk about you getting your little bottle back."

"You can't do this! You can't just make us do whatever you want!"

"Why not? You got somewhere better to be, amnesia boy?"

"Just who the hell are you!?" Bowser roared. The waitress smirked and flipped the check back over. She pointed to some writing at the top and tipped her hat before she casually walked away.

"See you in a bit," said the woman. Mario and Bowser each read the print at the top of the check.

 _Your server today was Leanna._

* * *

Contemno waved his hand and banished the shadows as a series of spotlights radiated over the stone table. With the rogue gallery assembled, the mage reluctantly began the meeting.

"Please explain to us exactly _why_ you called for this meeting all of a sudden," one voice at the end of the table demanded as he adjusted his goggles. On the opposite end sat Contemno; glaring at him through the obscurity of his mask.

Being of equal intellect to himself, Grodus was the one Contemno secretly despised the most out of all of his new acquaintances. Eris and Topper were seated at each of Contemno's sides. The mage was hunched over and propped up by his elbows. He appeared to be lost in troubling thoughts.

"Consider this to be a warning to you all," Contemno replied as he scanned the room.

"Of what nature?" a female voice asked. Due to her utter disdain for light, she had elected to sit outside of the spotlight's reach as a mere silhouette of darkness.

"Things are not progressing quite as I had originally anticipated," said Contemno. Grodus placed his scepter on the table and put his gloved fingertips together.

"Explain," he responded.

"There are a few pawns that have chosen to act outside of their assigned roles."

"Heh, what's the matter, Contemmy?" a deep male voice taunted. Perching his black and red combat boots up on the table, Tatanga smirked and flashed his sharp, goblin-like teeth. "You really having _that_ much trouble getting all your little ducks in a row that you need _us_ to swoop in and save your hide?"

"You would do well not to put words in my mouth, Tatanga," Contemno countered. "I'm simply advising you to remain on your guard. The opposition is proving to be more resilient than I originally believed."

"Or, maybe you're just not as powerful as you want us to believe?" Wart croaked.

"SHUT YER PIEHOLE YA NO-GOOD, SLIMEY-" Topper lashed out.

"Topper, enough," Contemno interrupted. "I gave each of you the very thing you desired most. It would be a shame to have it taken away so soon. All I'm asking is that you not relax just yet. It is very likely the enemy will come for you soon. You should be ready for action at a moment's notice."

"Fine," the female voice agreed with a sigh. "Then what exactly should we be wary of? Most of the Kingdom Council has been dismantled, has it not? What remains of this supposed opposition?"

"There are a few loose-ends," Eris elaborated. "Mario, the dainty mushroom princess, Bowser, and his snot-nosed kid."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up!" Tatanga stopped her as he snickered. "OL' BOWSER GOT BUSY!?" the alien erupted into laughter for a few seconds. "AND NOW HE HAS A WIDDLE KID!? WHEN DID _THAT_ HAPPEN!?"

"18 years ago," Contemno answered.

"Ohhh okay, so he's still just a twerp then. How much trouble could he really make?"

"Bowser's former generals are safe-guarding him, which is making it difficult to pin the prince down," said Eris.

"So they're all traitors then? Bowser, his generals, and his son?" asked the female voice.

"Pretty much," said Topper.

"Interesting. I was beginning to wonder why Bowser wasn't sitting here with us," said Wart. "Do tell, what's changed about him in the time we've all been away?"

"It's a long story, and we don't have time to go over all the details now," said Contemno. "All you need to know about Bowser is that his intentions have shifted and he is of no use to us now. I should mention however, that Bowser has broken his heart lock and escaped from captivity."

"That's hardly a surprise," said Grodus. "That behemoth is so headstrong that the only way he'll ever submit to anyone's will is if he's six-feet under."

"I was trying to utilize his power for our cause," Contemno argued.

"Then you were foolish to let him live in the first place. In fact, I'd wager you don't have the heart to kill _any_ of these remaining threats."

"You have no _idea_ what I'm capable of…," the mage defended.

"Maybe you should start showing us then, mask-boy," Tatanga challenged.

"I intend to pursue them again shortly."

"Mario will be accompanying you, I take it?" the female voice asked. There was a collective groan across the table at the mere mention of his name.

"This will be my final offer I extend to him. Mario will either join me as planned, or I will eliminate him once and for all. He and Bowser both."

"Ha! _You're_ gonna be the one to finally take Mario down!? This I _gotta_ see!" Tatanga taunted.

"Indeed," said the female voice. "In case you've forgotten, Contemno, each of us has challenged Mario; and each of us has failed to defeat him. Perhaps you are underestimating his power."

"Better make it count this time," Wart croaked up once more. "After all, you're on pretty thin ice with all of us right now. You have yet to show us any reason why we should consider _you_ our leader instead of acting on our own accords from here on out."

"You're not satisfied with my gifts?" Contemno asked.

"Oh, we're grateful alright," said Tatanga. "But what's stopping us from just taking our powers and running; you know, leaving your miserable hide in the dust?"

"I brought you all together for a purpose. Treason will not be tolerated," Contemno warned.

"Prove it." Contemno clenched his fist as a dark purple aura consumed it.

"I intend to…"

* * *

Peach found Junior huddled against the windowsill in the bedroom upstairs. She slowly crossed the room as her heart raced. Fear overtook her as she entered the lion's den.

"…Junior?" she called out softly. The Koopa Prince didn't move an inch. He kept his gaze focused squarely out the window.

"Haven't you done enough already?" Junior retorted bitterly.

"Junior, we need to get past this."

"Why? So you can feel better about yourself and the decisions you've made?"

"It's not about me. There are people out there who need us. They're in trouble and they need our help. We need to work together in order to save them. But that can't happen while you're still harboring such a deep hatred towards me."

"Quit trying to use other people as your scapegoat. It's insulting to them. This is _your_ fault, and _your_ problem that you created. I'm not going to just suddenly forgive you just because it would be convenient and save us all some time." Peach sighed and shook her head. This was going to be more difficult than she'd imagined.

"But I had no idea you were feeling this way, Junior. Don't you think it's even the slightest bit unfair of you to hold this grudge against me when I wasn't even aware of it?"

"Maybe, but you should have known all along that what you were doing was wrong. What you did to my dad was sick and wrong. But you didn't even care!" Peach accompanied Junior near the windowsill. She stared him down until he was uncomfortable enough to look at her.

"That's not true. I _did_ care. I knew that taking Bowser away would hurt you. You think I don't remember seeing the tears in your eyes that day? Or hearing the shakiness in your voice? You don't think I could practically feel the pain in your little broken heart? It was making me ache just to see you that way." Junior choked and his breath came up short as he swallowed his emotion.

"Then why did you do it?"

"I didn't have a choice. I _had_ to do it. Contemno was going to kill Bowser if I didn't." The Koopa Prince's eyes widened.

"…What?"

"He threatened his life. Contemno sought vengeance against your dad. Bowser had hurt him in some way, though I still don't know how exactly. But I begged Contemno to spare him. I volunteered to deliver Bowser's punishment myself for all of the harm he has done to me and my kingdom."

"So…then you…"

"Yes," Peach confirmed with a nod. "Contemno wanted Bowser to be executed, and he entrusted _me_ to do it. But I could never do that to Bowser. I knew I had to protect him from that fate somehow. So taking him in and reforming him was the only other thing I could think of to do. I wanted Bowser to live and to be safe. But that wasn't all. I wanted more for him. I wanted to help Bowser change so he could be happy. I didn't want to see him so angry and miserable for even one second more."

"No…you're lying…," said Junior. "You have to be. There's no way you-" Peach tenderly placed her hand on Junior's. Their eyes met.

"Junior, sweetheart. I'm not lying to you. I have never lied to you."

"B-but you knew all that stuff before and you-"

"Withholding information from you or the others was never my intention. I didn't know that any of it was important. I never thought I would see the day when knowing about anything from Merlon to the Broodals would ever be relevant to you. But that day is here. I will gladly tell you all that I know. But, I need you to be willing to listen, Junior. Can you do that?"

She watched the Koopa Prince as he looked away. His entire body was beginning to quiver. She tightened her grip on Junior's hand slightly, but he immediately pulled it away.

"You have to be making it up. There's just no way you could…," he denied.

"You don't think I'm capable of caring about your father?" Junior hesitated, then slowly nodded.

"If you really cared about him, you would've just married him." Peach sighed and shook her head. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. Admittedly, she was surprised he was letting her do this.

"Junior, sweetie. There's more to love than just marriage. Bowser was wanting to marry me for all the wrong reasons. He desperately wanted to rekindle the love he had with your real mother."

"My…real mom?"

"The truth is, I'm not her. I can't ever take her place. Marrying Bowser and trying to live a lie like that wouldn't be fair to anyone. Not me, not Bowser, and especially not you. We all deserve better than that, don't you think?"

"Yeah…I guess so…"

"But just because I love Mario, that doesn't mean I don't care for Bowser as a friend. I do. I care about him quite a lot. That's why I wanted to help him and protect him from Contemno. In fact, I still want to protect him now. I'm sure that after your discovery today, you're worried about him too." Junior nodded.

"Then let's put the past behind us and work together to save him," Peach offered. Junior still appeared reluctant. "Junior, I'm so sorry for taking Bowser away from you. I'm sorry for putting you through so much pain. I want to make this right. Can you forgive me?"

The silence in the air was unbearable. The anticipation was murder. Peach was desperate to hear Junior's response. But the fact that it was taking so long for him to answer was worrying.

"…No," Junior answered finally. "After what you did, I can't forgive you. I can't ever trust you."

"Junior…"

"I just…can't." She stared at him longingly. Her eyes were desperate to meet his. She could tell there was more he wanted to say, but couldn't. Somehow, he found the strength at last. "I'm sorry."

Peach desperately tried to hide her disappointment. Her face fell as Junior stood up and walked away.


	22. Partners

**RECAP:**

 **With Iggy's analysis and Peach's contributions, the group was able to determine that the slime - which covered the arm bands that Junior discovered – belonged to one of the Broodals. Even though they had just now arrived at the realization that Bowser and Rosalina had been captured, much of the overall mystery still remained unclear.**

 **Despite Bowser's best efforts to help him remember his past, Mario admitted that his memory still had not returned. It appeared as though the pair had reached a dead-end. That is, until a mysterious waitress by the name of Leanna in a diner named** ** _The Comatose_** **gave them vague instructions to seek out an abandoned building at the edge of town; stealing Mario's vile to use as a bargaining piece. Reluctantly, the duo agreed and departed into the unknown.**

 **Contemno, Eris, and Topper met with the other members of the mage's council: Grodus, Tatanga, Wart, and a mysterious woman. Contemno warned his accomplices of the lingering threat posed by Mario and company, but the mage's own abilities and authority were called into question instead. Contemno vowed to recruit Mario to his side and destroy Bowser no matter the cost.**

 **Junior's bitter resentment towards Peach came back in full throttle as he peeled back the layers of his everlasting grudge towards her for imprisoning Bowser for 10 years. Despite the princess's honesty and best efforts to make peace, Junior ultimately refused to forgive Peach for what she had done. Thus, the rift between the two remained.**

* * *

Merlon exited his newly crafted training room and gently closed the door behind him. He turned to find Junior waiting out in the hallway. The Koopa Prince was perched up against the wall with his arms crossed. He was staring at the wall nearby, but he appeared to be deep in contemplation.

"Greetings, Prince Junior," Merlon greeted.

"I need to start my training," Junior replied rather bluntly when he turned to him.

"Have you finished reviewing the-"

"Yeah, I finished the book. I'm ready to get started."

"I see…," said Merlon with an exhaustive sigh. "While I admire your motivation, I must admit that I envy your youth."

"Huh?"

"I am not as young as I used to be. Back in my prime, I could've surely trained an entire class all at once..."

"What're you saying? You can't do it?"

"Not at all. But I must confess I have exhausted the majority of my power today already. I fear I will not be of as much benefit to you if we begin your training now. I suggest we begin our lesson first thing tomorrow."

Junior clenched his fists. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath to reign in whatever irrational outburst had been perched on his tongue.

"Fine, I understand. We'll do it tomorrow," Junior agreed as he turned to walk away.

"If I may, I sense that there is more to your desire to begin training than just eagerness alone," said Merlon.

"What do you mean?"

"I sense that you are trying to avoid something. Your mind seems quite troubled. Perhaps there is something you can share with me?" Junior froze. His mouth cracked open slightly to begin a response and his hand rose in a half-hearted gesture to reach out for help.

"No, it's nothing," he stopped himself, shoving his arm back down to his side. Merlon didn't appear to be convinced, but the wizard said nothing more as he stood by and watched Junior anxiously meander away.

* * *

Peach was surprised to find the Koopalings and Toad still seated at the table when she returned to the basement. It was as if they hadn't moved since she left. Iggy was stationed in front of a white board; furiously stroking and sketching away as he muttered to himself indistinctly. The entire board was littered with notes, drawings, equations, and diagrams.

"How did it go?" Larry asked. Peach shook her head solemnly.

"Not well, I'm afraid. I told him the honest truth, but he just can't find it in himself to forgive me," said Peach. "Not that I really blame him after everything he's been through."

"Don't sweat it, princess," said Roy. "He'll come around. Just give him some time."

"But how long do you think that might take? Contemno is still out there wreaking havoc on the world and we don't have time to just sit here," said Peach.

"Yeah well, I don't think we should be doing anything until our bratty leader can learn to play well with others," Toad inserted. Suddenly, the room fell eerily silent as they watched Junior descend the stairs and quietly take his seat at the table; cupping his hands together in a dignified manner. He seemed unwilling to make eye contact with any of them at first.

"Hey…you alright, small fry?" Larry asked. Surprisingly, it was Peach whom Junior looked at first. They exchanged neutral expressions with one another; deprived of any real emotion.

"I'll be fine," Junior answered quietly. "Sorry about earlier. I just wanna stop Contemno and find out what happened to my dad. That's what's most important right now. We need to get back out there soon, so what's the plan, Iggy?"

Roy was pleasantly surprised by how mature Junior was trying to present himself at the moment, even if his quick turnaround was a bit abrupt. Despite his previous outburst, the Koopa Prince had collected himself again rather quickly. Perhaps there really was some semblance of growth in him after all…

"Well, you're certainly right, Junior. But, let's not be hasty," said Iggy. "We're not exactly armed and prepped for combat just yet anyway. It would be unwise for us to go out picking a fight in our current state. I'm sure Merlon's exhausted from all of his magic teaching today. So while he rests a bit, I think we should focus on strategizing in the meantime."

"Big surprise, the nerd wants to talk strategy," Toad taunted. Iggy shot him a slight glare, cleared his throat, and then continued.

"Now then, we did some theorizing while you two were away having your…umm…'conversation,' and I think we may have a lead on what Contemno's been doing behind the scenes up until now."

"Really?" Peach asked as she perked up a bit.

"I dunno where he got this 'we' stuff. It's mostly been Iggs throwing numbers and science jargon at us while I was tryin' to keep Larry from drooling," said Roy. "But maybe _you_ can make sense of what Iggy's trying to get at."

"Maybe indeed, as this does relate more directly to you than any of us, Peach," said Iggy.

"Oh…well, alright. What did you come up with Iggy?" Peach inquired.

Excitedly, the Koopaling rushed over towards his whiteboard, snatched up his pointing stick, twirled it in his fingers, and began his lecture by pointing at a list of names written in marker. The board read: _Kammy, Junior, Koopalings, Peach, Toadsworth, Bowser,_ and _Rosalina._

"Here we have a list of all the people we know of who were attacked either by Contemno himself or one of his followers," Iggy began. "Now-"

"Sorry, Iggy. I don't mean to interrupt," Peach started. "But you might want to add Mario's name to that list." She went on to relay to the group about Mario's role in the situation up until the arrival of the package containing his burned cap and the threatening letter. "I'm certain Contemno is responsible for whatever happened to Mario." The princess felt a sudden, strange urge to look over at Junior.

Perhaps she realized that this was yet another piece of vital information that she had unintentionally kept hidden from the rest of the group until now. She was certain Junior's reaction would be nothing short of volatile, so the princess winced slightly in anticipation of another violent outburst.

Yet, Junior wasn't even looking at her. He didn't visibly acknowledge her statement just now in the slightest. It was as if he hadn't heard what she just said, though Peach was sure that was impossible. The Koopa Prince kept a calm composure as his hands remained cupped together and he kept his attention on Iggy. The display was off-putting to Peach, though not entirely unwelcome.

"Hmmm…I see," Iggy replied as he added Mario's name to the list. "I was wondering where he's been while all of this has been happening. Alright, now we have a more up-to-date list of Contemno's known targets. I ask you all this, what is the commonality?"

"The…what?" a puzzled Toad replied.

"You know, the link. Basically, what do all of the people on this list have in common? There's obviously a pattern here."

"You asked us that before, and none of us knew. Just say the answer, Iggs," Roy stated bluntly as he crossed his arms.

"Uggghh, fine," Iggy agreed reluctantly; annoyed that his sibling was sucking any semblance of fun out of this lecture. "The commonality is that they're all associated with the Kingdom Council."

"Huh? Wait, _we_ aren't members," Larry denied. "Neither is Mario or Junior, and Kammy certainly wasn't part of it either."

"True, but all of the other names you just listed were _loyal_ to the council in one way or another when the attacks happened."

"What do you mean?" Junior asked.

"Peach, Bowser, and Rosalina are all current members of the Kingdom Council. Toadsworth was as well up until his death." Iggy explained. "They were all attacked, and there's practically zero chance that that was just all one big coincidence. I'd argue it isn't a stretch to conclude that Contemno has some sort of grievance with the council as a whole."

"I'd say that's a fair assumption," Peach agreed with a nod. "But Toadsworth stepping in to defend me was also probably part of the reason Contemno didn't hesitate to kill him."

"Exactly. That's the idea. It's all about loyalty. Toadsworth was loyal to you and was dedicated to protecting you, Peach. Then there's Mario." Iggy began to pace around the room as he continued. "As Peach just explained, Mario was conducting his own investigation at the council's request. He's loyal not just to his wife or the council, but to the whole _kingdom_. It's no surprise Contemno would orchestrate an attack against Mario to keep him from snooping around where he wasn't supposed to. Not to mention the fact that Mario is the Mushroom Kingdom's established defender. If anyone wants to stage any sort of attack on the kingdom, it would just make sense to try and remove Mario from the equation first."

The statement was received with collective nods, prompting the Koopaling to continue.

"Now, here's where the rest of us come in. Think back to the night Contemno attacked our castle. Recall that he was originally looking to strike Bowser down and steal the latter's castle for himself. Kammy most likely stepped in and fought Contemno in order to defend the castle out of loyalty towards Bowser."

"That sounds about right…," Roy affirmed.

"But when Contemno learned that Bowser wasn't there, he attacked Junior instead. Why?" The terrors of that night were still fresh in the minds of each of the Koopas present. Contemno's haunting words echoed in each of their memories.

 _"How about it then?" Contemno provoked. "Care to demonstrate just how far the apple truly falls from the tree?"_

"It's because Junior is Bowser's son; the Koopa Prince; the heir to the throne," Iggy answered. "Junior may not have been on the council yet, but he was next in line to take Bowser's seat after Bowser retired. Plus, who could be more loyal at heart to Bowser than his own son? Furthermore, if Contemno wanted to seize control of the Koopa throne in particular for some reason, ending the royal bloodline by taking Junior out would make it pretty easy." Junior gulped, but said nothing.

"What about us?" Larry asked. "Where do we fit into this?" Iggy turned to him.

"Us?" he repeated. "We just stood in Contemno's way to protect Junior. We're loyal to him as his teachers and guardians, after all. I'm sure Contemno had no issue targeting us since we were keeping him away from Junior."

"So, what I'm understanding from all of this is that Contemno is attacking the Kingdom Council and anyone who is loyal to its members," Peach surmised as she placed a finger under her chin. "He is most likely doing it because he's seeking political power for some reason."

"You got it," Iggy confirmed, though the princess's persistent frown concerned him.

"But, surely there is so much more to it than that," Peach argued. "From what I've come to understand about Contemno based on my previous encounters with him, he has a deep personal stake in this whole mess. He can't be doing all of this simply to take over the world and nothing more."

"What're you getting at?" Junior probed.

"When I first met Contemno 10 years ago, he wanted to kill Bowser specifically. But Bowser wasn't part of the council at the time. In fact, the Kingdom Council didn't exist yet. Instead, Contemno claimed it was because Bowser 'stole his kingdom from him.'"

"Well, that's not too surprising, if I'm being honest," Iggy replied. "Bowser has invaded a lot of territories besides the Mushroom Kingdom over the years. The only part that doesn't add up though, is that very few of Bowser's attempts were actually successful."

"Sounds to me like we just need to figure out what kingdom Contemno came from," Roy suggested. "Junior, you know your dad better than anyone else. Do you have any idea which kingdom he might've conquered that Contemno might be from?" Junior frowned and shook his head.

"No," he denied. "It's like Iggy said. Dad doesn't exactly have the best track record of conquering kingdoms. If he actually managed to secure one for good, I'd probably know about it. Maybe this was from before my time."

"Or maybe we're looking at this all wrong," Larry countered. Everyone turned to him. "Contemno wears a mask, right? So we have no idea who he is. If we can figure out his true identity or what he actually looks like, figuring out where he's from should be no problem."

"You make that sound easy," Junior argued. "Contemno's not just gonna take off his mask and tell us where he's from."

"Junior's right," Iggy agreed. "I think we're getting a bit side-tracked. Let's step back from Contemno specifically for now and get back to the list."

"There was something else about it you wanted to mention, right?" asked Roy. Iggy nodded.

* * *

Mario and Bowser strolled down street after street; block after block; cutting through alleys along the way. The rain poured on endlessly as they traversed this concrete maze. Mario's eyes had been glued to the miniature map Leanna gave them on the back of the diner check. The ink was beginning to bleed and the directions blurred as the paper gradually became soaked from the rain.

At the top of a hill, Bowser caught his first glimpse of a towering stone wall in the distance. It wrapped itself around the town for miles and stretched high up into the sky. This massive wall seemed to be cradling the city within its boundaries.

"What's that?" Mario asked as he examined the wall as well.

"No idea," Bowser replied with a shrug. Mario glanced at his map for the umpteenth time.

"It says we should go left once we've reached the outer wall at the edge of town. This must be it."

"Wonder why this place would need something like this built around it. Kinda makes this city feel like a prison."

"If that's the case, I can see why Contemno would choose this city to build his base. He loves making people feel like prisoners after all…"

Mario and Bowser followed the street up to the base of the wall; which only seemed to grow exponentially larger as they got closer to it. As the pair prepared for the upcoming turn, Mario clenched his chest tightly in his hand and groaned loudly. Bowser stopped and looked back at him.

"What's up? You alright?" he asked.

"I don't…ugghh…" Mario moaned as he kneeled over. Bowser helped him back up to his feet and led him over to a nearby bench.

"Maybe it was the burger," Bowser suggested.

"No, I don't feel sick. But there's this...burning in my chest," said Mario. He coughed a few times as well.

"In your chest, huh? This ever happened to you before?"

"No, not until just now. It's the strangest thing." Bowser peered over Mario's shoulder at the opening in the wall where entrance and exit out of the city was prominently marked with a large toll booth and chain link fence. By squinting a bit, the Koopa King was able to peek out into the world beyond the city walls. There appeared to be little more than fog lingering in the darkness. Determining this city's exact location appeared to still be as impossible as ever.

Bowser was yanked back into the present moment when Mario's cough worsened.

"Well, you better not be getting sick on me," said Bowser. "C'mon, let's find that building already. Sitting here in the rain isn't gonna help." He helped Mario up onto his feet, and led the way further along the outskirts of the city.

* * *

"This list on its own might not tell us much about Contemno's master plan at the moment," said Iggy. "But we might very well be able to predict who his next targets will be. Peach, who are the remaining members of the Kingdom Council?"

"Well, let's see," the princess began. "There's Pauline, Cappy, and Daisy." Iggy scribbled each of their names under a separate list.

"Okay, and when was the last time you heard from any of them?" Iggy probed.

"Pauline was with me at the time when Contemno attacked my castle. Luigi and Yoshi were there as well. I don't have the slightest idea what could've happened to any of them. They could've been captured, or they might have escaped somehow, which would still label them as targets." The Koopaling added the latter two names to the new list.

"Alright, we'll stick a pin in that for now and come back to it later." Iggy created a third column on the white board and wrote _Peach's Castle_. "And the others?"

"I haven't seen or heard from Cappy since the last Kingdom Council meeting where we agreed to allow Bowser to conduct his own investigation."

"Hmmm…that's not good. We need to figure out what's going on with him. Cappy's from where exactly?"

"Bonneton, the Cap Kingdom," Peach answered. Iggy scribbled down the name accordingly.

"Finally, what about Daisy?" Iggy continued.

"Come to think of it, it's been even _longer_ since I've heard from her. Daisy wasn't even present at the last council meeting. I've tried contacting her, but I've gotten no response."

"Any idea as to why that might be?"

"Honestly, no. The last thing she talked about was…" Peach gasped suddenly, which caught everyone's attention. "Sarasaland! She was giving us reports about the climate changes!"

"So what?" Roy commented.

"No, you don't understand. Daisy was discussing how her kingdom has been experiencing record-low temperatures and heavy snow storms," Peach explained.

"And?" Junior inserted.

"Sarasaland is a _desert_ kingdom. Snow in that region is absolutely unheard of. It hasn't snowed there in hundreds of years. The fact that it's been supposedly happening now is completely unprecedented."

"Snow and ice in a desert, huh?" said Iggy. "Surely that's something that could only be accomplished with magic."

"Then Contemno might have attacked her a long time ago! We're too late!" Larry panicked.

"How does this guy get around so fast!?" Roy added.

"Now, now," Iggy stopped his siblings. "Let's not panic here. We know that Contemno has accomplices so this might've been part of some coordinated assault."

"So what are we supposed to do then!?" Toad exclaimed. "If he already got to both Daisy and Pauline, he probably got Cappy too! There's nobody left to save!" Out of nowhere, Junior smacked Toad on the back of the head.

"Keep your stupid blue vest on!" Junior countered as he stood up. The rest of the room looked to him. "Iggy, you said before that we're pretty much declaring war against Contemno at this point, right?" Iggy nodded.

"Yeah, he did…," Larry affirmed.

"Well then, we can't give up just because Contemno was a few steps ahead of us. We're not out yet. Know why?" the Koopa Prince proceeded to point at Peach, who was slightly unsettled by this. "We've still got her, and I'm still here too. I know I'm not technically king yet. But I'm the best we've got while my dad's MIA. If Contemno is wanting to take down the _whole_ council and everyone who has anything to do with it, then he's still got work to do. So do we."

"Junior's right," Iggy agreed. "Things might look bleak for the others at the moment, but we don't know for sure yet what happened to them. There might still be time for us to do something. At the very least, these are good places to start looking for more clues. I think we should begin our investigation in Sarasaland and see if we can contact Princess Daisy."

The Koopaling scurried over to his desk and fished around in one of the drawers; snatching up a large scroll of parchment paper. Iggy unrolled the paper on the table in front of them. It was a large map of some kind.

"Now then, Peach," Iggy began once more. "Shows us where Sarasaland is located." Peach eyeballed the map for a minute or so, then pointed to a large sum of land on the far west side of the map.

"It should be about here," the princess answered. Iggy traced the map with his claw across a lengthy body of water and stopped when he reached the Mushroom Kingdom. The rest of the group was now huddled closely together around the map as well.

"But that's nearly halfway across the world from here!" Larry commented. "How does Daisy manage to show up for your meetings every week?"

"Daisy…has her methods. Although, she has forbidden me from telling anyone how she does it."

"You really think now's a good time to be keepin' secrets? When her life's on the line?" Roy asked. Peach sighed.

"I know, you're right. It would be a breach of her trust to tell you, but I won't be helping her at all if I don't."

"What's her secret, Peach?" Iggy probed.

"There's a warp pipe that she uses to travel between here and Sarasaland in mere seconds. There's only one of its kind."

"That's perfect! We can use it to get to Sarasaland in no time! So, where is it?" Larry asked.

"That's the problem. Daisy is so insistent on traveling in secrecy for some reason that even my word wasn't truly enough for her. She's never told me where the secret pipe is, so I don't have the slightest idea." Roy slapped his palm to his head.

"Sheesh, what a pain. Now what are we supposed to do?" he wondered.

"Roy, I said not to panic. We'll just have to find some other way to get to Sarasaland," said Iggy.

"I guess we could…sail there," Larry suggested. Junior shook his head.

"That'll take days, maybe even weeks if the weather's bad. We need to get there _now_." His eyes lit up suddenly. "I know! Let's teleport there!"

"…Huh?" Iggy responded. Puzzled looks were plastered across everyone's faces.

"The same way Ludwig got us all out of the castle the night Contemno attacked. I'll bet Merlon can just teleport all of us over to Sarasaland instantly."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea…," Peach objected hesitantly. "In the book Merlon assigned to me, there was a section that discussed teleportation in great detail."

"And? What did it say?" Iggy asked.

"As it turns out, teleportation is one of the most powerful forms of spiritual magic in existence," the princess explained. "It involves using physical magic to manipulate your own body in such a way so as to physically tear yourself out of existence in one place and reconstruct yourself entirely from scratch in another."

"Eww…sounds painful," Toad commented.

"The mental magic and concentration alone required to teleport yourself anywhere is almost unimaginable. But when you think about having to perform it on multiple people at once and the distance we're talking about traveling here, all of that just multiplies the difficulty of a successful execution of the spell exponentially."

" _That_ must be why Ludwig, Wendy, Morton, and Lemmy weren't with us when we escaped from the castle…," said Roy. "Maybe something went wrong and Ludwig wasn't able to get all of us out to the same place."

"Suffice to say, teleportation is an incredibly complicated process and I'm sure even an experienced user like Merlon would have trouble pulling it off in his prime."

"I may not know much about magic," said Iggy. "But even if we were somehow able to pull this idea off, there's a huge logistical problem I see with it. We currently have no idea what is going on in Sarasaland right now. For all we know, we could be blindly warping right into a warzone. Assuming Merlon wouldn't be there with us, we would be stranded and have no way to get out of there if things go south."

"Alright, alright, I get it," said Junior. "It was a bad idea, geez."

"It's not that it was bad, per se. It's just…," Peach started.

"Anybody else got any bright ideas for how to get there?" Junior asked. The room fell silent. Iggy cupped his chin in his hand.

"Hmm…well, there is one _other_ thing we could try," the Koopaling began. "But this also comes with its own risk."

"At this point, _anything_ we do is gonna be risky. What're you thinkin', Iggs?" Roy inquired.

"We could fly to Sarasaland."

"Fly?" Larry repeated.

"We could head back to Bowser's castle, get one of the old airships up and running again, and use that to fly to our destination. I can't imagine the trip would take more than a day by air travel."

"Have you forgotten the part where Contemno _invaded_ our castle?" asked Roy.

"No. Hence the 'risk' I mentioned. But compared to the other options we've come up with so far, this one comes with significantly _less_ risk," said Iggy.

"I don't see how going straight back to the place where Contemno murdered Kammy and almost slaughtered the rest of us too is _less_ of a risk," said Larry.

"Last time Contemno caught us by surprise. Now we've got the element of surprise on _our_ side since he won't expect us to come back so soon. Plus, we already know the layout of the castle so we know exactly where to find the airship. Best case scenario is we sneak in and out without Contemno ever knowing we were there."

"If you do run into trouble, you at least won't be alone this time," Peach added. "You can count on me to back you up."

"We don't even _need_ to fight Contemno in order to pull this off. In fact, I'd say we should avoid confrontation at all costs if we can help it. All we have to do is start with a little bit of reconnaissance to get a lay of the land, secure an infiltration route to the ship hangar, and I'll get the ship airborne from there. We'll bust out before Contemno even knows we broke in."

"I don't know about this…," said Larry.

"Well we gotta _try_!" Junior exclaimed. "We can't just sit here hiding in Merlon's basement for the rest of our lives!"

"Plus, if I can get into my lab back home for a few minutes, I can pick up some equipment and prototypes I'm missing. I've been working on some stuff that could really help us out," Iggy reasoned.

"Really? Like what?" Larry asked.

"If we live that long, I'll tell you all about it," Iggy replied with a wink.

"Alright, so we're doin' this then?" Roy asked. "We're going back to the castle so Iggy can grab his gear, and we steal one of the airships. From there, we'll fly straight to Sarasaland, yeah?" The group collectively nodded.

"But what about my magic training?" Junior asked. "I haven't had a chance to work with Merlon at all yet…" Iggy placed his hand on Junior's shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry, Junior. There's no rush," he assured. "Well...I mean, there _kinda_ is! But there's a right way to do this. You just focus on learning as much as you can from Merlon. As soon as you feel ready, just say the word and we'll head out." Iggy scanned the room. "The rest of us should prepare in the meantime. Rest, train, pack, do whatever you need to do so we'll all be ready to move out when the time comes."

With nods of unanimous agreement, the meeting's attendees disbursed to begin their preparations.

* * *

Bowser and Mario hadn't the slightest idea what they were looking for. The map suggested that they had reached their destination, but reality offered little reassurance that they were in the right place.

"This can't really be it, can it?" Mario asked. Bowser squinted and scanned the grand, mansion-esque estate in front of them. Peering through the iron bars of a rust-ridden fence and beyond a winding, unkempt yard of overgrown weeds and dead grass revealed an eerie abandoned house sitting nearby.

The house was several stories high, but it was littered with broken windows on each floor and peeling paint everywhere. There wasn't a shred of light to be found anywhere within the structure. At the end of the yard near the rotting wooden porch sat the remains of some sort of sign, though the sign itself was missing; its message lost with time.

"Well, she said it was an abandoned building," Bowser argued.

"Yeah, but a house?" Mario wondered. "I mean, we don't even know what the heck we're looking for."

"Gotta start somewhere," Bowser declared as he handed Mario the map.

"I assume you've got a plan to get us in there?"

"Naturally." Bowser cracked his knuckles, then stepped several paces back near the street and wound his arm in a circle several times. After a brief pause, Bowser charged forward towards the gate and punched the bars with all his might. Likely through a combination of the structure's deteriorated state and Bowser's sheer strength, the Koopa King plowed through the yard's line of defense effortlessly. He shook the dust and rust off his hand and motioned for Mario to follow him up to the house.

After braving the moist, unstable steps leading up to the entrance, the pair was surprised to find that the front door was unlocked. They cautiously entered the shadowy abyss within.

"I don't suppose you got a flashlight in the coat of your's, do ya?" Bowser asked.

"No," Mario denied. "Never exactly crossed my mind that we'd ever come to a place like this."

"Here," said Bowser as he picked up a wooden stick from amongst the debris that was littered across the cold, dusty floor. Inhaling deeply, Bowser spewed a small stream of fire and lit the stick ablaze; introducing a humble light to the darkness that otherwise engulfed him.

"What kind of house is this?" Mario wondered.

"Too big to be the home of some average joe-schmoe family," Bowser theorized as his eyes swallowed the interior. "Might've been wealthy at least. Would need to be in order to afford a place as big as this."

"Since when do you know about architecture?"

"I've got royal blood and I've lived in castles my whole life, Mario. I think I know a thing or two about what a home says about the family that lives in it."

"I guess that makes sense," Mario agreed with a shrug and a head scratch. He walked over to the furniture arranged in the corner of the room. There was more than one couch and coffee table with multiple end tables scattered all about. "Is it just me, or does this seem like a _lot_ of space for just one family?"

"No, you may be right. Even if they had a bunch of kids, this does seem like a bit much." Mario brushed the dust off a few magazines that were scattered across the coffee table.

"It almost…looks like a waiting room," he commented.

"No way!" Bowser exclaimed. He raced over towards the wall.

"What's wrong?" Mario asked.

"This painting…" The plumber followed Bowser's attention over to a small framed abstract painting hanging on the wall.

"What about it?"

"It's hideous! I mean, the colors are bland, the shading is amateur, and I have no idea what it's even supposed to be!" Mario shook his head in disbelief.

"What, so now you're an art critic too?"

"Hang on…I've seen this painting before."

"You have?"

"Yeah…I'd definitely remember seeing a painting this ugly." Mario and Bowser's eyes met.

"You don't mean…," Mario began. Bowser nodded.

"I've _been_ to this house before. No doubt about it. I remember seeing this painting when I was sitting here waiting for…something."

Bowser crossed back over into the main foyer and spotted a large wooden desk under a thick layer of dust. Mario wasn't far behind him.

"Now why would a home have a huge desk like this in the foyer?" Mario inquired. Bowser snooped around behind the desk and picked something up.

"Because it's not an ordinary house," the Koopa King answered. He tossed over a manila folder for Mario to catch. There was a large logo printed across it that read _Second Wind Orphanage_.

"An orphanage?" Mario read aloud. "An orphanage...that you've been to. Wait a second. Bowser, you knew your parents, right? You grew up with them?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Bowser answered as continued digging around behind the desk; popping his head up every now and then to speak.

"Okay...and you told me before when you were locked up in Contemno's place that you have a kid."

"Yeah, that's right. His name's Junior. What of it?"

"Well, you didn't tell me Junior was adopted."

"…What? No he's not! Don't be ridiculous. Junior's mine. My wife and I had him biologically."

"Then why would you ever come to an orphanage?" Bowser combed the contents of the file cabinet and pulled out seven more manila folders. He placed them on the desk for Mario to see.

"Simple. Do you remember those generals in my army that I told you about at the diner? The Koopalings?"

"Yeah."

"This is where they came from. I adopted them." Mario's eyes widened slightly.

"…Really? Here? You're positive?" Bowser nodded.

"Even if I wasn't, their files are all here." Mario picked one of the files up off the desk and began examining its contents.

Each file was dedicated to a specific child. The files were labeled as follows: _Roy, Ludwig, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Lemmy,_ and _Larry_ , respectively. They were surprisingly light on content with only a few medical records that were most certainly outdated by now, a page titled _Official Release of Custody_ , and a photo of each child inside. The black-and-white photos of each child were grainy, and they had each most likely grown and changed drastically in appearance by now. The children in these photos only looked to be a few years old. The third page was littered with legal jargon, but Mario gathered that these documents were proof that Bowser had in fact adopted these kids. They contained his signature and everything.

"But why? I mean, you already had a kid and I'm sure you and your wife were happy with him. So why would you go out and adopt seven more?"

"It wasn't for pleasure. After my wife passed, my priorities changed," Bowser answered. "It was around that time that I picked up my princess-kidnapping and kingdom-conquering habits. I needed generals to lead my army, and Junior was much too young at the time to be trusted with such a responsibility, much less expected to understand it. I mean, the kid was barely potty-trained at the time," Bowser described with a chuckle. "Anyway, I adopted the Koopalings because they were young and impressionable, though still slightly older than my boy. I knew I could mold them to be the soldiers I needed. In return, I gave them a roof over their heads, three square meals a day, and a sense of belonging."

"That's…messed up. I mean, creating child soldiers? I'm sure losing someone is hard but, to think that you would go to such extremes…," Mario commented.

"It's not all that unexpected if you really knew me and the life I've lived. Cruelty in the family came with the territory." Mario suddenly recalled Contemno's words from that horrible day in the lab.

 _"I know about it, Bowser. All of it. I know how weak and useless your father made you feel as a child and adolescent. He treated you like trash. He never believed you would live up to the family name."_

Mario vividly remembered Bowser's broken cries of pure anguish as Contemno stabbed him with each new needle.

 _"King Morton wounded your heart, Bowser. But somewhere down the road, once you finished weeping and wallowing in your pathetic self-pity, you decided you'd had enough. You never wanted to let anyone see you in such a sorry state. More importantly, you never wanted anyone to have this much power over you ever again."_

But the physical torture was nothing compared to the apparent truth in the mage's words.

 _"You act vicious because you can't handle the way you truly feel! You're ashamed of the frightened, sad, and utterly unloved little child that forever dwells within you. As time passed, you have only struggled more and more to keep your weak, sensitive self in check!"_

"Hey, what's up?" Bowser called out suddenly, snapping Mario back into reality.

"H-huh?" Mario stuttered.

"You zoned out there for a second. You alright? Feeling sick again?"

"Bowser…are we just not going to talk about that?"

"About what?"

"The other day in the lab. All of those things Contemno said about you…" Bowser tightly clutched the file in his hands and sharply turned away from Mario.

"There's nothing to talk about," the Koopa King denied.

"Bowser, I was there in the room too. I heard all of it. He knew your weak points. All of them. He knew just where to strike you."

"He was just blowing smoke. The guy didn't know what he was talking about."

"I don't think so. I think Contemno knew _exactly_ what he was talking about." Bowser didn't respond. "Look, I don't blame you for not wanting to talk about it. But that stuff he said was cruel. It hurt you. I saw it; the way you were crying and-"

"Shut up," Bowser warned him.

"Bowser, it's okay. I'm not judging you," Mario assured, though the menacing glare he was receiving from Bowser didn't suggest the latter believed him.

"Then why are you bringing this up now?"

"I guess I just…well, I want to make sure you're okay."

"…Okay? _Okay_? After everything I've been through, you really think I'd be _okay_!?"

"Well, if you're not, then I want to help! Please, just tell me-"

Out of nowhere, Bowser set the torch aside, snatched Mario up off the ground, and shoved him against the wall nearby; choking him.

"Shut your goddamn mouth. Do you hear me?" Bowser threatened. Mario coughed and gasped for air. "If you really think I'm gonna talk about _anything_ in my past with you, you're _dead_ wrong."

"Bowser…stop…I-" Mario choked.

"We're enemies," Bowser growled in a deep, low tone that Mario didn't know he could reach. The sheer death in his eyes was a horrifying sight. "You don't need to remember that, because I do. After our entire history together, you are the _last_ person on this earth I will ever open up to!" Mario swung his foot and kicked Bowser right under his chin; releasing the Koopa King's grip. Mario knew this was a mistake, but it was too late to stop now.

Angry, Bowser charged towards Mario, picked him up by his shirt, and threw him across the room. The plumber landed directly on top of the coffee table in the waiting room. As he slowly recovered from the impact, Bowser raced towards him once again. The Koopa King slammed his fists down with all his might.

Mario rolled out of the way and hit the floor just in time as the coffee table was shattered into pieces. The dust cloud that formed from the impact impaired the vision of both combatants. They erupted into minor coughing fits, but fought on regardless.

Mario and Bowser exchanged blow after blow. Bowser slugged Mario across the face, Mario kicked Bowser in the gut. Bowser pinned Mario up against the wall and pummeled away furiously. In retaliation, Mario butted heads with Bowser when the latter leaned in; causing the Koopa King to stumble back a few feet. Mario and Bowser slowly circled the room and glared at one another from a distance.

"Bowser, I'm not your enemy!" Mario exclaimed.

"Yes you are! Memory or not, it doesn't change everything you've done in the past!" Bowser exclaimed.

"But I'm not that person anymore! I can't be if I don't remember it! I've changed, just like you!"

"People don't change! They just want other people to believe that! Peach thinks she changed me, but in the end I'm still my old, terrible self!"

"No you're not! You're different now!"

"How would you know!?"

"Because you trusted me before!" Bowser froze in his tracks.

"…What?"

"You trusted me to help you escape from Contemno. We've made it this far together. So tell me what's changed. Why is right now any different!?"

"It's…because…," Bowser began. "I don't _want_ to trust you…"

"Why not?" Mario replied.

"B-because!"

"Because why!?"

"Because I just _don't_! I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Any of what!?"

"I NEVER WANTED TO CHANGE!" Bowser confessed at last. Mario grew silent to let the Koopa King continue. "Peach forced me to against my will. I _liked_ the way I used to feel. I felt powerful. I felt like no one could touch me; no one could ever hurt me again. Then she took that away from me; my dignity, the respect from my minions and my son; my very will to live..."

"Bowser…"

"You want me to be real? Fine! Let's get real! Growing up, I had nothing! My parents made me believe I would never amount to anything! They made me wish I'd never been born! Then I met Celia...and...and I-I guess I just thought things would be different with her! I thought I'd finally found my place in the world! But then _she_ left me all alone, just like everyone always does! Big shocker, I know!"

Mario couldn't find any words to offer. All he could do was stay put and listen from a distance.

"So there I was! I was left to raise my toddler son all by myself! I was scared and...angry! It wasn't fair! Life was never fair to me! So I decided to hell with all of it! I was going to make this damn cursed world respect me or die trying! I was going to carve out my own legacy! One that I could actually be proud of, and I would tear down anyone who stood in my way!"

"What did you really want to get out of that?" Mario asked calmly. Bowser took a deep breath as his temper gradually subsided.

"I...wanted to marry Peach. I wanted to be loved again, and for Junior to still have a mother. I wanted my family back; the one I rightfully earned. I thought that was the only way I could ever be happy again. But in the time after my wife died, I grew to love the sense of power I found. Man, what a rush!"

Suddenly, Bowser fell back and collapsed against the wall. Mario's heart was screaming at him to rush over and help Bowser, but his survival instincts forced him to keep his distance.

"But it was never meant to last. I truly was never meant to be happy, and it was all thanks to _you_ , Mario. You could never just let me have my happily ever after. That's why I will _always_ hate you."

Mario clenched his fists, then released them almost instantly as his anger dissipated in a flash. Anger and violence would get him nowhere. He knew that deep down.

"I'm sorry…," Mario whispered.

"What?" asked Bowser. Mario shut his eyes and sighed.

"I wish I could remember what I did to you, but I can't." His solemn blue eyes met Bowser's. "All I can say to you now is that I'm sorry that I hurt you, Bowser. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Not when you've lived your entire life carrying so much hurt." The plumbed examined his gloves. "I wish I knew what that felt like. I wish I could understand your pain."

"No you don't."

"Bowser, don't tell me what I-"

"The sheer hell that I've lived through, I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Bowser finished.

"Do you...honestly mean that?" Bowser nodded. Mario chuckled, which surprised him. "You know what the saddest part is then?"

"What?"

"You _can_ change. You want to deep down. In fact, you probably already have. But you just won't let yourself believe that it's possible." Bowser's eyes widened a bit.

"What are you talking about?"

"What you just said right now. You wouldn't want anyone to hurt the way you did. If that's how you truly feel, you can't be all that bad, right?"

"I…," Bowser started.

"It was your parents who started this. They were the ones who messed you up from the very beginning. There's no way you could have just been born as bad as you say you are. I think you were born to be just as nice as anyone else. But your parents failed you. Even so, no matter how much you think you've changed for the worst, I don't believe you ever did."

"Why's that?"

"Because I think those kind feelings were in you all along. Over time, they just got buried under all the hurt you've had to carry. But then Peach helped you find those feelings again. I think Peach just helped you be the person you forgot you could be. All that pain has blinded you, Bowser." The Koopa King could feel his eyes beginning to water, but he quickly wiped them with his arm.

"No, that's not…I mean, that _can't_ be true!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"All I know is how to be bad. That's all that I am. There's no way I could've ever been…"

"Maybe you just needed a little reminder of who you could actually be." Mario slowly walked over to Bowser and extended his hand. The Koopa King stared at him reluctantly.

"It's too late for me to change…"

"No it's not."

"I can't ever be…"

"Yes you can."

"Why would _you_ of all people ever believe in me?"

"Because I'm not the Mario you remember. Maybe he would've judged you for being vulnerable deep down, but I can't. I can only judge you based off of the few days that I've known you."

"Then…what do you think of me?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you; no reason for me to hate you or not trust you. I think you always had the potential to be good. Your wife probably saw that in you too. So did Peach. But I think you just need a little help remembering that yourself every now and then." Bowser took a deep breath.

"Assuming that anything you're saying right now is true…what do I do now?" Bowser asked. Mario extended his hand out once more.

"Let's start over. You and me. Let's forget the people we were in the past. Let's start with a clean slate. From here on out, let's be friends. Real ones. We're gonna need each other if we're ever gonna stop Contemno, right?" Bowser smirked slightly at this. He carefully took Mario's hand and stood up.

"Yeah…I guess that makes sense. So…partners?" Mario smiled back at him.

"Partners."


	23. The Garden

**RECAP:**

 **Through deductive reasoning and discussion, Junior's group was able to settle on their plan of action at last. They were to head for Sarasaland in search of Daisy and to investigate the bizarre change in weather she previously spoke of at her last Kingdom Council meeting. But to get there, it was decided that they would first need to return to Bowser's castle in order to commandeer an airship to fly. Junior was prepared to dive head-first into his magic training with Merlon so that he would be ready for action as soon as possible.**

 **Meanwhile, Mario and Bowser followed Leanna's hand-drawn map through the city and encountered a large abandoned estate. Upon entering, it wasn't long before Bowser realized this was no ordinary home, but an orphanage. It was then that he revealed to Mario that this orphanage was where he adopted the Koopalings many years ago.**

 **Mario pressed Bowser to talk about his past and his vulnerability, which Contemno had violently unearthed earlier. After tearing down the walls of insecurity and anger between them, Mario and Bowser were at last able to form a true pact of friendship as they resolved to leave the past behind and work together to stop Contemno so they might find a brighter future.**

* * *

Junior crossed his arms and shook his head dismissively.

"No, I don't like this at all," he denied.

"Come on, squirt. It'll be fine," Roy argued.

"How is it fine? I thought we were supposed to stick together. Now you're wanting to leave me behind! This isn't what we agreed on!"

"We're not leaving you behind," Larry reasoned. "If anything, we're just giving you some space so you can focus on your training. We won't be around to distract you."

"But what if something happens to you? I won't be able to help!"

"We need to find out what's going on at Bowser's castle. We can't afford to walk in blindly, and we've spent enough time sitting around as it is," Iggy explained. "The sooner we can secure our infiltration route to the ship, the better." Junior's expression still conveyed zero confidence in this plan. Larry placed a hand on Junior's shoulder.

"We won't do anything reckless. I promise," said Larry. "We're just going in to take a look around. At the first sign of trouble, we'll get out of there." Junior looked away. Roy stepped in and guided the Koopa Prince's attention back at them by his chin.

"I know how badly you wanna get out there. We all do. But the best thing you can do for all of us right now is to stay here and do your training with Merlon. The rest of us can't just sit around while you're working so hard. We gotta put in some real work too." Junior glanced around the room at his three siblings. He was met with reassuring smiles all around.

"We'll be back before you know it," Iggy declared.

"You better keep that promise…," Junior replied reluctantly. With nods of acknowledgement, the three Koopalings turned to make their way towards the front door.

"Is everyone ready?" a voice chimed in. Descending the staircase was Peach; dawning her new attire.

The princess was freshly dressed in a pink blouse with red stripes laced around the collar, sleeves, and bottom. Her blue pendant was as prominent on her chest as ever. She also wore magenta pants with pink stripes along the bottom hems and tennis shoes that were half pink in the front and half red in the back. Her hair was looking to be the most groomed and well-kept it had been in days, and she kept a portion of it tied in a ponytail in the back. Peach's iconic crown rested proudly atop her head. The boys were taken aback slightly by her clean, clear skin and the determination radiating from her face.

Peach joined the Koopalings at the bottom of the stairs and looked over at Junior. He frowned, but his otherwise blank expression didn't convey much emotion at the moment.

"Woah…you clean up good, princess," Larry commented; trying his hardest to keep his blushing cheeks in check.

"Thanks," said Peach. "I figured you guys had seen me looking like a mess for too long. Thanks to Merlon's teachings, I learned how to conjure up some new clothes. I hope it's not too much…"

"Nah, you look more ready for an adventure in _that_ than in a dress," Roy assured.

Merlon appeared behind Junior and nodded his head; motioning for the Koopa Prince to follow him into the training room nearby. Junior took a deep breath and his eyes met Larry's.

"You better be here waiting for me by the time I'm finished," he threatened smugly.

"Count on it!" Larry agreed, flashing a peace sign with two of his claws.

"Safe travels," wished Merlon. The group nodded as they proceeded out the front door.

* * *

Mario and Bowser explored the derelict orphanage together. Although the overwhelming darkness and intoxicating abundance of decay all around them was certainly unsettling, their newfound comradery helped keep their nerves at bay.

"I still wonder if this was the place Leanna wanted us to find," Mario wondered.

"Who knows? Honestly, I don't think I even really care about her or what she wanted from us at this point. This place…just brings back some nice memories," said Bowser.

"Really?" Mario asked with a hint of disgust.

"Well, it wasn't _always_ a dump like this. I don't know what happened over the years, but this place was at least somewhat pleasant when I first came here."

"Since you're bringing that up again, there's something I've been wondering. If you adopted the Koopalings, does that mean you know who their real parents are?"

"No," said Bowser as he shook his head. "As you saw, there wasn't much to their case files. Nobody has a clue who any of their parents were or what might've happened to them. We don't even know if any of their parents are even still alive. I want to believe the Koopalings are all biological siblings who came from the same family, but the directress told me when I met her that they didn't have the funds to do any sort of DNA testing to be sure."

"That's so sad…"

"Yeah well, life's a crapshoot and nobody gets out of it alive in the end."

"Didn't you ever think of trying to do some kind of test yourself. I mean, with your resources as a king, you probably could've-"

"Remember that I adopted them for a reason. I had my own plans for them."

"Well, at least you gave them a home. You know, even if it _was_ so you could turn them into child soldiers."

"I mean…sure, and I probably _could_ have given them a normal life with a semi-normal childhood; same for Junior. That is, if I had been a…different person back then."

Mario and Bowser continued to search the orphanage. Both of them knew they hadn't the slightest idea if they were in the right place or what Leanna could've possibly wanted them to find here. So they wandered aimlessly through the dark corridors; snooping around in the handful of empty bedrooms for some kind of clue and taking caution to avoid the hidden dangers of an ancient building that was practically on the verge of collapse.

Feeling drained and defeated from their fruitless expedition, Mario suggested they step outside to get some fresh air; reasoning that this might help clear their minds a bit. It didn't take much for Bowser to agree following a hardy sneeze from him as a result of the ingesting some of the dust that lingered all around.

* * *

After passing through a pair of double doors that were practically falling off the hinges, Mario and Bowser stepped out onto the porch of a wide open courtyard behind the orphanage. They were astounded. It was practically the size of a football field!

The skeletal remains of bald branches and dried up roots suggested that a hedge maze once grew here, and the garden seemed to have been deprived of crops or any semblance of organic life for ages. At the far end of the landscape several yards away, the world's horizon was lost to an endless fog. It was impossible to tell what lied beyond the outskirts of the property. Even more peculiar, the yards that would've belonged to the neighboring buildings on each side of the orphanage were obscured by the fog as well.

"What _is_ this place?" Bowser wondered.

"It feels like we stepped into a completely different world…," said Mario.

"Of all the places that you could've scurried off to, I must admit I'm genuinely surprised you chose _here_." Mario and Bowser turned to see a familiar character perched atop the broken stone water fountain in the middle of the yard.

"Contemno!" they exclaimed together. Immediately, Bowser dashed towards the fountain and smashed it to pieces with a single punch. Contemno gently floated down to earth nearby.

"How did you find us?" Mario asked.

"It wasn't hard. As long as you're in _my_ kingdom, there's nowhere you can truly hide from me. It all comes down to a matter of when I choose to approach you, is all."

" _Your_ kingdom? What are you talking about?"

"Who cares! Now that he's here, let's pound him into a paste!" Bowser interrupted as he beat his fists together. Contemno folded his hands behind his back and strolled casually towards a stone bench overtaken by moss nearby.

"There's no need for aggression," the mage replied calmly as he took a seat. "I already control your entire world. My ultimate goal is very much within reach, so I'm in no hurry." Bowser stalked towards Contemno as if he were cornering his prey. He made every effort to shake the earth beneath his feet with every step in order to intimidate the mage.

"After everything you've put us through, how could you possibly think we'd _ever_ settle this peacefully with you!?"

"I've done some thinking in the time since our last encounter. Even though this domain is ultimately mine, I have come to recognize the two of you for the positions of power you held in your world. After all, you've already proven to me that you cannot be manipulated into traditional slavery. I see no reason then, why we can't attempt to settle our differences as diplomats."

"What do you mean?" Mario asked as he slowly descended the porch's stairs leading to the yard's ground level.

"I could chase the two of you all around my realm as mindlessly as how you used to chase after your silly princess," Contemno answered. "But it would accomplish nothing. There's no escape for you, and hiding will only serve to waste time. Instead, I motion we resolve our dispute like gentlemen."

"Enough with the riddles," said Bowser as he waved his hand dismissively. "If you want to try killing us again, just do it already."

"If I wanted to kill you, I would've done so already, and I certainly would not have made my presence known like this. As I said before, I've done some deep contemplation since I last saw you. To that end, I recognize now that there is much more to be gained if I keep you alive."

"Is that so?" the Koopa King asked, mockingly.

"Yes. That is why I will answer any questions you have." Mario and Bowser froze and exchanged confused, skeptical glances.

"Are you serious?" Mario asked.

"What would you like to know?" Contemno inquired.

"Why don't we start with the obvious?" Bowser proposed. "Who are you? Take off that stupid mask and let's see your real face!"

"I said I would answer your questions. I did not say I would obey your commands. Unmasking myself before you is out of the question. As for my identity, I am a pioneer of retribution towards the world. I was once destined for greatness; but it was stolen from me. Thus, I have set out to claim your world for myself as your rightful ruler."

"Alright, so you're just another power-hungry loon. Is that it?" Bowser scoffed. "Are you at least gonna tell us your real name?"

"Ah, so you've gathered that Contemno is not my real name, then?"

"No mom would be stupid enough to seriously name their kid that," said Bowser.

"Perhaps not," Contemno agreed. "But my real name and face are not important because I don't need you to remember them when you're lying on your deathbed in your final hours of life," Contemno replied. "I wish for you only to know me for my status; my legacy. I want the people of the world to know that there is no mistaking it. The seat of power over all lands is, was, and always will be rightfully mine."

"Sounds to me like you're just side-stepping our questions," said Mario as he crossed his arms. "How do we know we can really trust that you're telling the truth about anything we ask?"

"I never promised you would like the answers I give. Whether or not you believe me is entirely your choice. You can either take my word, or leave it. Either way, it won't change the situation you're currently in. But is that really all you wish to ask me?" Contemno asked. Mario and Bowser looked at each other once again.

"What did you really do to me back in your lab? What happened to my memory?" Mario pursued.

"I knew from the beginning that you would be an obstacle, Mario. I have seen for myself that your reputation as the defender of the Mushroom Kingdom precedes you. If I was ever going to succeed at taking over your home, I knew that you would have to be dealt with sooner or later. But, challenging you myself would be difficult. Few have come close, but none have ever actually triumphed over you. Unlike the rest of your little rogue gallery however, I saw another path."

"Another path?" Bowser repeated.

"Why not make Mario fight for me?"

"For…you?" Mario echoed.

"If I couldn't stop you myself, then surely no one would be able to stop me if you were my ally. Still, recruiting you wouldn't be easy. After all, you'd already seen my true nature 10 years ago. So, I knew a clean slate was in order."

"Just get to the point," said Bowser. Contemno extended a finger towards Mario.

"I locked your memories away in the most obscure corners of your mind. If you couldn't remember who you were, then surely you would turn to me for guidance. Thus, I could rebuild you as my ultimate apprentice." Mario pinched his chin with his thumb and index finger.

"And…you couldn't tell me any of this because…if I remembered who I really was, I would never serve you," Mario surmised. Contemno nodded.

"Precisely. My intention was to ensure that you would have no choice but to follow the path that I had created for you. In the end however, it would seem that losing access to your memory just wasn't enough. You've shown me now that it wasn't your memory of who you were that would keep you from siding with me, Mario. It was your tenacious spirit. You always fight for what you believe in, even if you have no idea who you are. As ridiculous as that sounds, I must admit that you are a truly remarkable individual indeed," Contemno praised.

"Stow your petty compliments. Since taking Mario's memories away didn't do squat for your little plan, how does he get 'em back?" Bowser asked.

"I'm glad you asked," said Contemno as he held out his hand towards Mario. It began to glow in an intense, red aura. Mario felt a burning sensation in his stomach. It was as though Contemno was grabbing something inside of him. Suddenly, a glowing lock materialized over Mario's chest with chains wrapping around his waist and back. Bowser's eyes widened as he recognized the device. It was the same lock that had appeared on his own chest back in the tower.

"Hey, what are you doing!? Leave him alone!" Bowser exclaimed. He raced over to Mario's side. Using his free hand, Contemno blasted a wave of purple aura towards Bowser, which launched the Koopa King back several feet.

"Patience, beast," Contemno replied. "Just watch."

The mage closed his hand and twisted his wrist as if he were turning a doorknob. The burning sensation inside Mario intensified. Then it suddenly leaped out of his chest and up into his head. The plumber cradled his head as he endured an erupting migraine. Yet as quickly as the pain had arrived, it suddenly disappeared seconds later. Mario collapsed to the ground unconscious for a moment. Contemno didn't move from his spot. He seemed to have anticipated this reaction.

Moments later, Mario woke up and shook his head, groaning.

"Uggh…Mama Mia…," Mario moaned.

"Mario!" Bowser called out to him. Their eyes met. "You okay? What happened? What did he do?"

"You remember now, don't you?" Contemno asked. Mario examined his gloves. His blue eyes widened.

"I…I do. I remember…everything," he confirmed with disbelief. "I was on my way to find Rosalina. The Star Spirits told me…she had visions…of the danger. But…I was attacked by the Broodals."

"The Broodals!?" Bowser repeated. Mario nodded.

"They shot down my ship. That's the last thing I remember before…everything went black. But…it's all coming back to me now! Bowser, your story makes sense to me! I remember my brother Luigi and Peach and Yoshi and Daisy! Cappy, Pauline, Toad, Rosalina, Toadsworth and…and you! I-I live in the Mushroom Kingdom! This is great! I'm back to normal! I remember!" the plumber cheered as he jumped to his feet.

"Of course you remember. I just unlocked the mental barrier I had created in your mind. Your memory was never truly lost. You just couldn't access it," Contemno explained. Mario turned to Contemno as his excitement faded in an instant.

"But…why would you do that?" he inquired. "Considering everything you put me through when I thought I was Maldeon, why not just wipe my memory clean then if you really didn't want me to remember my past?"

"If your memory was truly lost, I wouldn't have been able to offer it back to you as a peace offering just now, would I?"

"Wait a second…did…you plan this? _All_ of it!? You even knew I would betray you!?" Mario exclaimed in disbelief. Contemno stood up from the bench and casually strolled through the dirt garden.

"I'm no fool, and I'm quite serious about conquering your world. To be worthy of such a title, I have to anticipate every outcome; every possibility. I must be ready for any slight setback."

"Sounds to me like you're just cocky. Something didn't go according to plan, and now you're just backpedaling and trying to save face by acting like you actually meant for all this to happen," Bowser taunted.

"You can hide behind your brooding, antagonistic wall to your heart's content," Contemno retorted. "It only means you have yet to understand how futile your resistance to me truly is."

"What about his voice?" Bowser asked. "Mario could never talk before, now he's suddenly doing it like he's been speaking his whole life! Was that your doing too?" Contemno nodded and turned to Mario.

"Do you recall the last thing I said to you in our previous encounter?" the mage asked. How could he forget?

 _"I already gave you what you wanted most. Without me, it'll never truly be your's…"_

The plumber clenched his throat.

"Y-you mean…?"

"This brings us at last to my true purpose for approaching you today," said Contemno. "This land that you have come to call the 'Rain Kingdom,' is the realm that exists within my heart: my heart's kingdom."

"'Heart's…kingdom?'" Bowser repeated.

"It's the most powerful manifestation of spiritual magic I currently possess, and only the greatest magic users in history ever obtain the power to create their own _worlds_ ," Contemno explained. "Everything in this world that you see around you was created by me. It is a world disconnected from your reality. The only way in or out of this realm is through me. I no longer have intentions of holding either of you as my immediate prisoners because as long as you are here in my heart's kingdom, there's nowhere you can go."

"Bah! This just sounds like more of your cheap tricks!" Bowser scoffed. Contemno shook his head.

"You certainly are a stubborn one. Although I hate to repeat myself, I will do so this one time. You are free to believe what you wish. But it won't change reality."

"Just tell us what you really want from us then," said Mario. Contemno pointed a gloved finger at him.

"What I want is _you_ , Mario."

"Me?"

"I want you to join me, just as I had originally planned. Swear your allegiance to me; devote yourself to my cause; fight alongside me and me alone. If you agree, I will not only permit you to leave my heart's kingdom, but I will also allow you to keep your voice."

"Ah-ha! So it _was_ because of you that Mario started talking all of a sudden!" Bowser interrupted.

"Yes, that was also by my magic's design," Contemno affirmed. He lifted his hand again as it began to glow red once more. The lock materialized over Mario's chest. "I can allow you to leave this realm with both your memory and voice intact. But only if you swear your undying allegiance to me." Mario's intense glare confronted the mask.

"And if I refuse?" he asked.

"Then you shall remain trapped in my heart's kingdom for all of eternity," Contemno answered. "And if you attempt to escape from this realm without my approval, you will automatically lose both your memory and your ability to speak. That is what the heart lock is for."

"Heart lock…?" Bowser muttered.

"That lock is bound to your body forever. With it, I can control your voice and your memories at leisure. Any semblance of free will that you think you have is nothing more than an illusion. Understand that I still control what matters to you most, even if you refuse to serve me."

Mario examined the glowing lock still present on his body. But his expression didn't change. He didn't appear to be fazed by this in the slightest on the surface. Deep down however, Mario's heart nearly stopped in its tracks. Still, he couldn't let this show. He couldn't let Contemno get through to him again.

"Put on a brave face all you like," Contemno continued. "I already know how devastating it would be to lose your new gifts after you just acquired them. I know you want them not only for yourself, but for Princess Peach as well."

Mario's head fell. Bowser looked to him, but couldn't find anything to say.

"You can't have it all, Mario," said Contemno. "It's a cruel truth; one I learned long ago. But it is one I will teach the world. You are no exception."

"You can take your offer and shove it! There's no way he'd agree to any of that!" Bowser exclaimed.

"This is Mario's decision to make. It does not concern you," Contemno countered. Mario stared into his gloves.

"I…can finally talk…there's so much I want to say to her," Mario thought aloud. He looked up to the cloudy sky above. "I have to get back home. I can't stay here…" Bowser rushed over, gripped his forearms and shook him. Their eyes met, but only Bowser's were ignited with passion.

"Mario! Snap out of it! You're not seriously thinking about taking this loser up on his offer, are you!?"

"Bowser…you don't understand. Peach and I…we had a fight. After the way things ended between her and I…I have to get out there. I have to make things right."

"But what if he's just bluffing, huh? What if you don't keep your voice, or you lose your memory again when he lets you out! Agreeing won't do you any good if you can't actually talk to Peach or if you forget who she is again!" Contemno crossed his arms and chortled slightly as he watched this scene unfold from the sideline.

"He said he'll let me keep both of them." Bowser slapped Mario across the face as hard as he could. The plumber stared at him in horrified disbelief.

"He'll never let you see her!" Bowser reasoned. "You already said before you would never serve Contemno! Even if you get out of this place, even if you still remember her, and even if you can still talk when you're out there, he'll never let you see Peach again! You know that deep down! I _know_ you do! You can't trust Contemno!"

"Bowser…I…" Without warning, the Koopa King slugged Mario across the face. He fell backwards and slid a few feet.

"No. I'm not letting you do this," Bowser declared. Mario sat up and wiped the blood away from his nose with his thumb.

"Bowser, this is _my_ choice to make. You can't-"

"LIKE HELL IT IS!" Bowser roared. "WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PARTNERS, REMEMBER!? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT, HUH!? AFTER WHAT YOU DID FOR ME BEFORE, ARE YOU _REALLY_ GONNA TURN YOUR BACK ON ME _**NOW**_!?"

True enough. He was the one who had defended Bowser back there after all...

 _"He's the key to getting my memory back. I'm leaving, and I'm taking him with me."_

 _"To hell with all of this! I'm going to remember who I was before you came into my life, and Bowser's going to help me do it!"_

 _"Bowser, snap out of it already!" the man yelled angrily. "Come on! Where's the cold, ruthless prisoner I first met a few days ago!? Where's the evil genius who helped me see through Contemno's lies!? Don't tell me you're taking back what you said before!"_

Contemno found Mario's silence unsettling. He knew he had to stop this seed of doubt before it sprouted.

"Mario, don't entertain this idiot's nonsense," Contemno reasoned as he approached him. "He's only thinking about himself, just as he has always done. He's trying to drag you down with him. You remember your true relationship with Bowser now. You're much too smart to fall for his tricks."

"I…," Mario hesitated.

"Oh give me a break! Mario, he's just pulling your chain again! Snap out of it!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Mario!" called Contemno.

"Mario!" called Bowser.

The plumber fell to his knees, shut his eyes and covered his ears to hide from the pressure.

"DECIDE!" Contemno commanded.

"FIGHT HIM NOW!" Bowser ordered.

"Quiet! Both of you! I need to think…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Bowser saw Contemno winding up for another attack. A purple chain flew through the air. But it was stopped in its tracks. Mario open his eyes and witnessed it. Bowser was choking the chain with one hand as he stared Contemno down.

"You called us diplomats before, right?" Bowser asked. Contemno didn't respond. "You said we had 'positions of power in our realm.' Those were your exact words."

"What of it?" Contemno replied. Bowser pointed his thumb casually over his shoulder back at Mario and smirked. The mage was admittedly unsettled by this.

"Well it just so happens that he and I came into a partnership not too long ago," Bowser explained. "I'm sure there's some other twisted little definition of that word in your dictionary. But let me spell this out for you, freak." The Koopa King cracked his knuckles. "He's not making a decision without me, and I'm making a decision for the two of us right now. We're choosing to exercise our diplomatic power right now by telling you to get _lost_!" Contemno grunted angrily.

"I grow tired of these games! I have tried to be civil with you, but it would seem that you leave me no choice! If you will not stand at my side, then I will end both of you here! This realm will become your eternal resting place!" The mage clapped his hands together slammed them down into the dirt below.

Suddenly, the entire yard began to shake and tremor violently. Mario and even Bowser found it difficult to keep their balance. The ground rocketed high up into the sky all around them as they were boxed inside walls of rock and gravel. The cliffs grew taller and taller until climbing out of this newly formed canyon seemed impossible. Shadows blanketed them as the cliffs blocked out what little light of day existed outside. Contemno pushed the corresponding walls to his right and left sides several feet away; widening the arena.

The mage gripped a pair of magic chains in his gloves. Bowser clenched his fists and Mario positioned his feet into a fighting stance. The pair knew they had Contemno outnumbered, but they weren't confident this would give them much of an advantage when considering whom they were up against.

Contemno whipped the chains out forward with great ferocity. Mario attempted to leap out of the way, but his leg hesitated, leaving him to falter, take the lash from the chain head-on, and tumble to the ground after. Despite having his memory back, it would seem that his body wasn't quite used to performing his usual acrobatic feats again just yet.

Bowser caught the other chain before it reached him. Gripping it tightly, Bowser yanked it forward, which pulled Contemno hurdling straight toward him. The Koopa King curled his free hand into a fist and delivered a crushing below to Contemno's mask when the mage arrived before him. Contemno found himself launched back in the opposite direction in a sling-shot maneuver after taking the full brunt of Bowser's attack. But the mage managed to land on his feet.

Mario charged full-speed at Contemno. The latter dodged the incoming onslaught of punches and kicks, clapped his hands, and summoned a sword. Contemno swung the sword horizontally, but Mario ducked under the blade with little time to spare. Aiming his kick low, Mario tripped Contemno off his feet and followed-up with an uppercut.

With his free hand, Contemno stopped Mario's fist and twirled his blade around in his other hand before swinging it once more. Mario abandoned his offense and jumped out of the way. But this time, he wasn't quite fast enough. The sword cut clean through his coat and shirt sleeve; leaving a minor cut on Mario's arm.

Like a bull, Bowser raced towards Contemno. The mage clapped his hands and threw his sword into the air. The blade transformed into a metal mallet. Contemno caught his new weapon just before Bowser could reach him. The mage swung the mallet directly into Bowser's chest; halting all of the latter's momentum. Contemno continued his assault. He struck Bowser's arm, ankle, cheek, and finished off with a clobbering to the top of Bowser's head; sending the latter straight into the ground.

Mario jumped in to aid Bowser, but Contemno swung the mallet down on him as well. Mario managed to catch the weapon with his hands as he brought the weapon's advance to a halt. The combatants found themselves locked in a clash. With his remaining strength, Mario delivered a high kick towards Contemno's arm; breaking the mage's grip on the weapon as it was sent flying.

Mario caught the mallet and swung it furiously at Contemno. In a slight daze, the mage attempted to counter each blow with thin walls of purple magic, but he was only able to stop half of the attacks; freeing Mario to deal a few clean hits. Finally, Contemno was able to repel Mario and the mallet back a few inches with one of his magic walls as he jumped away to get some distance. Contemno's gloves began to glow with a sinister purple lightning. Bowser stood up in time to witness the mage preparing for his next attack. He had to stop it.

Bowser inhaled and blasted as much fire as his lungs could muster towards Contemno. The mage abandoned whatever attack he was planning and cast a magic wall that was both tall and wide enough to cover the fire's entire range of attack.

With Contemno distracted, Mario sprinted around the magic wall - mallet in tow - and prepared to deliver a fatal blow. But when the moment of truth arrived, something grabbed Mario's wrist and jerked him back. He turned around to find…a second Contemno!?

A nearly identical doppelganger of the mage now stood behind Mario; armed with the same sword that had been used before. When did Contemno have the time to create that!?

The second Contemno swung his sword furiously. Mario was barely able to block each strike with his mallet. Simultaneously, the two Contemnos shot a burst of aura from their palms that repelled Mario and Bowser away until the two were standing back-to-back with one another. Mario held his weapon close to his face in irritable protection, and Bowser wiped away a small bit of molten saliva from his lip; both of them breathing heavily. As the pair of Contemnos stalked towards their prey, they each snapped their fingers. Mario and Bowser's eyes widened in horror as Contemno duplicated himself again…and again…and again!

Suddenly they were surrounded by an army of Contemnos!

"Your fate has been sealed…," the mage declared in an ominous echo. It was impossible to tell which one was the original.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Mario asked in defeated desperation.

"Shut up! It's not like you to complain!" Bowser scolded.

The arena was lit up in a purple glow as the army of Contemnos charged another lightning attack; one from each of them. There was nowhere to run. No conceivable way he could miss his shot.

"I didn't come all the way out here from that tower just to lose to this dweeb! I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna _win_!" Without warning, the Koopa King gripped Mario's arm and pulled the plumber inward to his immediate side.

"W-wait! What are you-"

"Stay close to me!" Bowser instructed. He hugged Mario tightly to his chest and crouched down. Each Contemno clone thrusted his arm down in a domino effect. The mages rained seemingly endless bolts of lightning down on their targets.

But just before the projectiles could strike, a green spike ball rolled out of the line of fire in a flash. The ball plowed through a handful of Contemnos; forcing them to disappear in an instant. The remaining mages continued to fire lightning bolts at the now-mobile target. The ball raced up the side of the wall and began to circle along the wide barrier that made up the arena. Round and around and around the ball rolled.

A few Contemnos took turns trying to halt the spike ball, but were crushed effortlessly and left to vanish.

Contemno's mind burned with rage. He was furious at this reminder of how Junior had used a similarly cheap rolling maneuver back in the castle. This would not stand. A repeat performance was utterly unacceptable.

"COWARDS! YOU KOOPAS ARE ALL ALIKE!" the mage roared. The spike ball finished clearing out the remaining clones until only the real, original Contemno remained. He thrusted his arm forward violently. The large burst of purple aura transformed into a giant hand and snatched the ball up. Bowser's spikes poked through the hand slightly and formed small cracks in it all around like breaking glass, but the hand's grip on him endured.

The hand threw the spike ball back down at the ground with exasperated power. The thundering impact forced Bowser to uncurl on his back as Mario spilled out to his side. Contemno curled his glove into a fist. The magic hand mirrored his movement. The hand rose slightly in the air. Mario and Bowser each awoke in a daze. They were just in time to see what was about to happen next.

"I WILL BURY YOU IN THE DIRT LIKE THE WORMS THAT YOU ARE!" Contemno exclaimed. The fist rocketed down with tremendous speed. Mario rolled out of the way, but Bowser caught the fist with his arms and legs.

It was moments away from crushing him, and it took every ounce of strength Bowser had left within him to hold the fist at bay.

Mario stepped back a few paces, then ran forward as he gave in to blind fate. The plumber managed to channel his dormant acrobatic ability and jumped high into the air. He landed on top of the fist and had a clear shot at Contemno from here. But Contemno had already spotted him.

With no time left to think, Mario leaped higher into the air and prepared to strike Contemno with all that he had. He needed to land this shot. If he didn't, Bowser would be crushed. With his free hand, Contemno launched a chain at Mario.

Unfortunately for him, Mario anticipated this.

The plumber grabbed the chain and swung in a circle to build momentum; releasing his grip and flying ever higher at the height of his swing. Mario flew closer towards Contemno and readied his fist once more.

The mage took a direct hit from Mario's punch and was sent hurdling back down towards the ground. The chain disappeared, and the magic hand – which had still been copying the mage's movements – flew backwards and collided with the wall; creating a large, gaping hole.

Mario landed on his feet and helped Bowser up, while Contemno staggered to his feet as well. The mage smacked his palms together once more. The entire arena began to quake. The pair seized the opportunity to escape through the hole in the wall.

Contemno waved his arms, twirled, and jerked his body around madly in a sinister, hypnotic dance. Cracks in the remainder of the arena formed all around. With one slicing motion after another, severed chunks of the arena began to levitate and flew towards Mario and Bowser. The pair managed to escape before a chunk of rock collided with the ceiling above them and brought the entire structure down.

As the piles of rubble and rock grew, Contemno continued his assault. He chucked pillar after pillar at the duo, and barely missed each time.

Suddenly, the onslaught stopped.

Mario and Bowser could hardly see or breathe as they were engulfed by the dust cloud. Everything went quiet. Too quiet. Why did he stop? When the dust cleared, Bowser immediately looked over at the last position he had seen Contemno. The mage had disappeared.

"D-did…did he give up again?" Bowser wondered. The only answer he was met with at first was the disgusting sound of punctured flesh. The Koopa King's head turned mechanically.

"Not this time...," said Contemno. Mario was stunned as a numbness consumed him. Blood leaked from his lips and he eyeballed the red sword that had been thrust straight through his chest.

"This game is over."


	24. The Way to Power

**RECAP:**

 **While Junior underwent his training with Merlon, Larry, Roy, Iggy, and Peach ventured ahead to scope out Bowser's castle and find a route to the airship - they would take to get to Sarasaland. The Koopa Prince was reluctant to agree to their plan, but accepted when he was promised they would return for him before departing to their final destination.**

 **Meanwhile, Mario and Bowser continued to explore the** ** _Second Wind_** **orphanage. In the desolate garden behind the estate, they encountered Contemno once again. The mage proposed to settle their conflict peacefully, and offered information to them in exchange for something else that he wanted. During their discussion, Contemno revealed that the city of the Rain Kingdom was actually a world created entirely by him out of magic. It was known as his heart's kingdom.**

 **Contemno also revealed that he hindered Mario's memory using a heart lock in order to turn the plumber into an ally, and that he gave him the ability to speak as well. In a gesture of supposed goodwill, Contemno restored Mario's memory. However, it wasn't long before his true, malicious intentions were revealed.**

 **Contemno offered Mario a way out of his heart's kingdom in exchange for the latter's servitude. Should Mario agree to swear his loyalty to the mage's cause, he would be freed from the magic world with both his memory and voice intact. Bowser was wary of the entire proposal and took immediate notice of his new partner's hesitation. Ultimately, Bowser rejected Contemno's offer on Mario's behalf, and another battle ensued.**

 **It appeared that Mario and Bowser had escaped from the mage's wrath once again. That is, until Contemno dealt Mario a lethal blow from the former's blade. Now the plumber's life hangs in the balance…**

* * *

Contemno ripped the sword out from behind and stumbled back several feet as his fatigue set in. Bowser slid in the dirt and caught Mario's back as he fell. Blood stained the plumber's shirt and coat, and Bowser saw the distant, wandering gaze in Mario's eyes as the latter coughed up blood.

"Hey...come on. No...no! No, come on! Stay with me! Stay with me, Mario! Mario!…MARIO!" Bowser panicked. The Koopa King's entire body froze. He didn't know what to do. His arms were locked underneath Mario's back. His entire body trembled. What he saw next horrified him.

It was happening again; all over again. This was just like before; just like that horrible last night…with _her_.

 _"Bowser…," she stopped him. "There's something I need to ask you."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Do you regret falling in love with me?" Bowser could feel his eyes watering again. "I never wanted to do this to you or Junior."_

 _"This is not your fault, sweetie. We didn't know this would happen."_

 _"I can't tell you how much I hate sitting here and…feeling so useless," Celia described. "I hate seeing you give up your happiness for me. I hate watching Junior grow up, and not being able to even get up to hold him while he's still young." Bowser didn't know what to say. What could he say? Nothing would change what was happening._

 _"Everything's okay," he lied. "Junior's doing just fine and…."_

 _"Please don't lie to me," Celia stopped him. "You were never good at that."_

 _"Heh…I guess you're right," he agreed with a small, forced laugh._

 _"Just…answer my question…..please…" Bowser took a deep breath._

 _"Celia, I don't regret any of this," said Bowser. "Not one bit. You shouldn't either. What we have is real, and it was always worth it. My family is the best thing that ever happened to me. This doesn't change any of that." Celia smiled._

 _"Then…I'm glad," she replied. "There's one other thing I need you to do for me."_

 _"Anything," said Bowser._

 _"Make me a promise." She placed her free hand on top of Bowser's claws. "Promise me that you'll take care of Junior, and that you'll protect him no matter what." Bowser was silent. "If you can do that…then I can go without any regrets," she explained. "I can move on…knowing you'll be okay because…you'll have each other." Bowser broke down into tears._

 _"Celia…," he whispered. His claws were trembling._

 _"Bowser, promise me." He looked straight into her eyes through the tears._

 _"I promise….I swear that I will…." Celia smiled._

 _"Thank you…"_

Bowser vividly recalled sobbing at Celia's bedside; clutching her limp, delicate hand as he sobbed. He remembered all of the sorrow and heartbreak he felt that night in excruciating detail. It was the moment that had haunted him for the rest of his life.

Bowser looked down and saw Celia in Mario's place. This was just the same. It was happening all over again…

"…No…NO….. _NO_! PLEASE! NO! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! YOU CAN'T! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO! MARIO, PLEASE! STAY WITH ME! MARIO! **_MARIO_**!" Bowser pleaded hoarsely as sorrow consumed him.

"Don't despair…," a demon spoke from behind. "You'll be joining him soon." Contemno held the crimson weapon underneath Bowser's chin and up against his neck from behind. The Koopa King was too overwhelmed with sadness to move.

"You…," Bowser muttered softly.

"Now hold still while I sever that loud, arrogant head of your's _clean_ off your shoulders." Bowser shut his eyes and remained still. Tears rained down from his face as he silently accepted his fate and prayed for a quick release from this mortal coil with a painless death. He could practically hear the sword tearing through the wind as it neared his neck.

Suddenly, Bowser's blind world of darkness exploded in sound. There was a terribly loud boom of some kind, followed by the clanging of metal hitting the ground. Bowser's entire body winced in reaction to all the noise. Contemno let out a blood-curdling scream. Bowser opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

Several feet away, a figure emerged from the fog. Smoke dissipated from the metallic front sight of a shotgun. Wielding the weapon was a semi familiar face. Bowser frantically searched his brain for the person's identity. At last, he remembered her.

"That's enough," said Leanna. Bowser twisted around to see Contemno nursing his hand. The glove was suddenly soaked with blood. Did she just… _shoot_ him?

" _You_ again…," said Contemno. "You…wretched girl…"

"Go ahead. Try casting more of your magic!" Leanna taunted as she emptied the chamber of the shell, shoved another bullet inside, and snapped the break shut. "Show us what tricks you can do with only one hand!"

"You _dare_ mock me!?"

"Damn right, I do. You can't touch me, remember?"

"Your little toy changes nothing. Your power is finite. _My_ power is limitless"

"All I need is one good shot to your other hand and you're as powerless as the rest of us." Contemno groaned once more and clutched his wounded hand even tighter as if to suffocate the pain.

"I _will_ find a way to kill you. I swear it!" the mage vowed.

"You know what will happen if you do," Leanna countered. She shot him a glare deprived of any semblance of fear. Contemno's other hand began to glow and his entire body flickered as if he was a projection fading in and out of existence.

"I'll earn her blessing. Then, I will wash my hands clean of you once and for all…," said Contemno. In a flash of light, he vanished. Leanna shoved the shotgun back into the holster on her back and rushed over to Bowser's side.

"C'mon, we need to get moving," she ordered.

"N-no…I…I can't. I can't leave him b-behind!" Bowser sobbed.

"Pull it together!" Leanna exclaimed. She examined Mario's wound. The redness that coated him grew darker in color by the minute.

"He'll be fine, but we need to go _now_. Let's get him back to my diner." Bowser jerked his head towards her in disgust.

"Your diner!? Screw that! We need to get him to a hospital!"

"You really think Contemno would create a hospital for the people he hurts in his world?" she countered. Bowser's mind was too overcome with emotional distraught to think rationally. He could barely contain his sobs as he watched Mario succumb to his pain. Leanna yanked at Bowser's collar.

"Hey, tubby! Are you listening!? Your friend's gonna bleed out if you just sit there crying about it! Pick him up, follow me, and we just might be able to save his ass!" Bowser snapped back to his senses and shook the sorrow from his face. He wrapped his arms further underneath Mario's back and hoisted him up.

Leanna and Bowser sprinted straight through the orphanage and out the front door where they came in. Bowser came back into reality thanks to the sudden adrenaline coursing through him.

"But your diner's all the way across town! We'll never make it there in time!" Bowser exclaimed. Leanna stopped at the edge of the front yard and waited for Bowser to catch up. He stopped at her side when he caught a glimpse of a motorcycle parked on the curb straight ahead with a small sidecar attached to it.

"What, did you think I _walked_ all the way here?" asked Leanna.

"There's no way I'm gonna fit in that thing."

"Then tuck in your gut and hold your breath!" Leanna strapped a pair of goggles over her eyes after she hopped on the bike and twisted the throttle. The motor roared then fell into a steady hum. Bowser stumbled into the sidecar without the aid of his arms and scrunched down into the tiny seat as he cradled Mario close to his chest.

"Hang on!" Leanna exclaimed as the motorcycle took off down the street. On the way, Leanna instructed Bowser to take offer Mario's coat and use it to apply pressure to the latter's wound in order to slow down the bleeding.

They arrived at the diner minutes later. The woman guided Bowser over to the largest booth table in the corner where they laid Mario down flat on top. She yanked off Mario's button-down shirt and instructed Bowser to stay put while she rushed to the backroom to gather some items.

The waitress returned, but Bowser was puzzled by her array of tools. She washed her hands and put on latex gloves before getting to work. The Koopa King watched in silent confusion as Leanna poured a large dose of an orange powder all over Mario's chest. She shoved a washcloth into a pot of hot water, then laid it atop the powder; repeating this process several more times until Mario's entire injury was covered with rags.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Bowser objected at last.

"Saving your friend, what else?" Leanna argued.

"With _what_? Instant orange soda?"

"Will you relax? It takes a minute to kick in." Bowser groaned loudly and stomped around the diner impatiently.

Five minutes later, Leanna began removing the blood-stained rags and tossed them into a laundry basket nearby. Bowser raced over to see if whatever insane ritual she had been performing actually worked or not. The wound in Mario's chest still looked incredibly painful, but the bleeding had long since stopped. His injury looked clean at the very least. Mario stirred ever so slightly. His eyes cracked open and he attempted to sit up.

"What…happened…?" Mario whispered.

"Mario!" Bowser called out to him. Leanna shoved the plumber back down flat on the table rather forcefully.

"Don't move yet," she instructed. "It'll take a couple of hours or so before your wound finishes closing." The woman removed her gloves, washed her hands once more, and fetched a bottle of pills. Mario looked at the unknown medication skeptically that she was holding out for him to take.

"What's…that?" Mario whispered again.

"Painkillers. They'll help you sleep this off." He didn't appear convinced. Leanna sighed sharply and rolled her eyes. "Seriously? They're not gonna hurt you. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't be helping you right now." Mario accepted this answer for now as he swallowed the pills with a swig of water. Leanna placed a pillow under Mario's head so he could sleep more comfortably, removed her cap, and slunk into a booth nearby. After a moment of hesitation, Bowser decided to join her at the table.

"So…is he…?" the Koopa King began awkwardly.

"He'll be fine," Leanna replied without sitting up or even opening her eyes. "Contemno didn't manage to hit anything vital, and with the healing remedy I just gave him, his wound should be completely closed by tomorrow morning."

Bowser released a massive sigh of relief and sprawled out in the booth to relax for the first time in what felt like days to him.

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Bowser was pushing himself to say something more. He believed Peach would be pestering him to if she were here right now. Leanna sat up slowly. She looked exhausted and her eyes were far away. They met Bowser's, then sharply looked away. Bowser sighed again.

"Thanks for…saving our hides back there," he said at last.

"Don't mention it…uhh…"

"Bowser."

"Right. Bowser. I'm sorry Contemno wrapped you boys up in all of this."

"Call it a hunch, but something tells me you're not an ordinary waitress." Their eyes met once more. But this time, Leanna didn't look away. In fact, she smiled rather seductively.

"It's a long story. I'll make us some coffee." 

* * *

Merlon held the door open for Junior as the Koopa Prince entered the mysterious training room. He'd yet to see what the interior looked like until now. But what he found…he wasn't sure if he should've been impressed by.

There was nothing here. No furniture, no wallpaper, no carpet, no windows. The room was shrouded in darkness. His padded feet shivered as they brushed against the cold wooden floorboards when he entered. Junior's heart stopped when the door closed behind him and he found himself swallowed in the pitch-black void.

"M-Merlon…?" Junior stammered slightly.

"Be at peace, young one. You are safe here," Merlon assured. The room was suddenly illuminated ever so slightly by a circle of candles that covered the circumference of the room. Once Junior's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he spotted Merlon taking a seat on the floor in front of him. He motioned for the Koopa Prince to do the same.

Junior could feel his legs trembling. What was up with this room? Why did he feel this lingering sense of…dread? He carefully knelt down and patted the floor a few times like a blind man in order to gather his bearings. His tail practically froze when it came into flat contact with the floor. Sitting on a block of ice sounded more appealing all of a sudden.

Junior and Merlon sat in silence and stared at one another for what felt like hours, even though it had barely been a few minutes in reality. The Koopa Prince fidgeted nervously. He looked into Merlon's golden eyes for reassurance, but was only given an unsettling silence.

He hated this. What was going on? Why wasn't Merlon saying anything? Was Junior supposed to be doing something? If so, he hadn't a clue what it was.

Junior could feel those yellow eyes staring at him from across the darkness; judging him, belittling him, frightening him. But Junior couldn't let it show. What was he so afraid of? He wasn't a baby anymore. He was an adult! He couldn't show fear like this. But then…what _was_ he supposed to show?

Junior did anything he could possibly think of to act natural as he waited for Merlon to give some kind of instruction. He scratched his chest, brushed some of the dust off his feet, and ran a hand through his hair. Every once in a while his eyes would wander back towards Merlon's, then immediately look away in horror when they saw those yellow pupils still staring directly at him. Junior licked his dry lips.

"Uhhh…," he started. Merlon gave no response.

Two more minutes passed. Just what was going on here? Was something wrong with Merlon?

"I…," Junior started again. Still he was met with complete silence.

No. Enough. This was too much. This was too uncomfortable. Junior had to get out of here. He had to do something, anything. He needed an excuse to get away. He wracked his brain for a plausible escape route.

"I-I need to go to the bathroom!" he blurted out suddenly.

"Do as you wish," Merlon flatly replied. The Koopa Prince raced through the door behind him and hurried down the hall.

In reality, Junior didn't have to go in the slightest. But he couldn't stay in that room for one second longer. The Koopa Prince needed _something_ to do in here. He splashed cold water over his face several times and was ashamed of the coward he found in the mirror.

"Dammit! What's wrong with me!?" Junior exclaimed. What was he so afraid of all of a sudden? There was no way Merlon was going to hurt him. It had already been well established that Merlon was here to help. So why was Junior afraid of him now?

This was too unfamiliar. He had never trained under anyone besides Ludwig before. Oh how he wished Ludwig were here right now. Heck, Junior wished _anyone_ familiar was here right now.

Why did Larry, Roy and Iggy have to leave him here all alone? Junior would've given _anything_ for Bowser to be here to hold him in his arms. Even one of Peach's hugs would've felt pretty good right about now, in spite of Junior's feelings towards her. The Koopa Prince longed for Bowser, Kammy, Ludwig, Wendy, Lemmy, Morton, Larry, Iggy, or Roy. He needed a familiar face. But none were around. He was all alone, and he was terrified.

His claws were sweaty, his eyes red and puffy, his breaths short and raspy as they passed through his desert of a throat and brushed his sandpaper tongue. The Koopa Prince could feel his entire body vibrating and his tail twitching. He drenched himself in water once more, then buried his face in a towel. He couldn't hide in here forever. But Junior needed something to combat this fear if he was ever going to work up the courage to go out there again.

Anger was the only tool he seemed to have left. He had to smother the fear under as much anger as possible. It was all Junior could think of to do. After all, that's what his dad always seemed to do and that worked just fine for him.

Junior had to protect himself from whatever was coming next. Once he'd gathered his composure after a few more minutes of preparation, the Koopa Prince stormed out of the bathroom and marched back into the training room where Merlon was still waiting for him. Junior folded his arms and glared at him.

"I trust you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening?" Merlon asked.

"What are we doing?" Junior retorted as he shrugged off the joke.

"Your training, of course."

"Oh really? And are we starting any time soon?"

"That is for you to decide, Prince Junior."

"Not it isn't! I was waiting for something to happen. But you're just sitting there staring at me!"

"I've been waiting for you to join me in the Realm of Refuge." Junior's eyebrows rose as the tension melted away from his arms.

"Realm of…," the Koopa Prince began. "Merlon, I already know how to meditate! That's how I first _met_ you! I need to learn more powerful stuff like physical and spiritual magic!"

"I intend to teach you exactly what you desire in addition to what I believe you will need for your journey. But, I sense that you are not yet ready to begin," said Merlon; keeping a consistently calm tone in spite of Junior's outbursts.

"Not ready!? What are you talking about!?" Junior exclaimed. "The others went on ahead to the castle and left me behind! Daisy's probably turned into a popsicle by now! Who knows what happened to my dad or Mario! I need to get out there and do something! I'm _more_ than ready!"

"Take a look at the room around you, Prince Junior," said Merlon. Junior scanned the empty room, but his sour opinion of it didn't change. "Do you believe this room is fit for any sort of physical combat training?"

"Well…no! Of course not!"

"The Realm of Refuge offers limitless space and privacy in which to practice any kind of magic you need. More importantly however, the training regimen I have created for you is based on one of the most powerful teaching techniques ever devised by magic users."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"In the Realm of Refuge, you maintain complete control of your consciousness and your physical body," Merlon explained. "You can study and practice techniques to your heart's content. When you return to the physical world, you will retain all of the knowledge and muscle memory you acquired during your meditation."

"So…just meditating and _thinking_ about training will help me be able to perform this stuff in real life?"

"Precisely. This is the true power of mental magic. It will expedite your magic growth exponentially. I understand you are in a hurry to save those who have been lost to the darkness. Since time moves faster in the Realm of Refuge than in the real world, you will learn the necessary skills to carry out your mission in half the time it would take you to learn them in reality."

"Woah…that's amazing…," Junior admitted.

"It is one of the most effective training techniques ever developed by the Forbearance Society, and it played a monumental role in how users were able to practice in secret and away from society's watchful eye. However, since you must maintain a meditative state for an extended period of time, many do not possess the patience, willpower, or mental clarity to see this type of training through to the end."

"W-well, not me! I've got what it takes! You'll see!" Junior declared. Merlon shook his head slowly.

"I sense that you are not being honest with yourself, Prince Junior."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"When I first read your mind after meeting you in-person, I saw that you are carrying much pain in your heart. While it is true that your drive is powerful, you are also deeply troubled by many things, and you have left these problems to fester and grow within you. In your current state, you simply lack the mental fortitude to complete this training."

"Oh, come on! Sure, I've got problems, but who doesn't? I can set all that stuff aside for a while. It'll be fine. I'm totally committed to doing this training," Junior reasoned.

"You can try to sway me with words as much as you wish. But it does not change the fact that your heart is much too troubled. In your current mental state, you will gain no benefit from my training regimen."

"So…what am I supposed to do then?" Junior asked solemnly as Merlon's words slowly sank in.

"Do not despair, Prince Junior. Although the road to obtaining the power you seek will be difficult given how little time you have, all hope is not lost. For you see, there is another powerful training technique designed for this very situation," said Merlon.

"There is?" Merlon nodded.

"This technique is derived from a philosophy held within the Forbearance Society. It dictates that the problems which plague us are nothing more than opportunities for true inner growth. It is a belief that our problems can be transformed into tools that help us achieve feats which were previously thought to be unattainable."

"Oh…so it's just positive mindset stuff?" Junior critiqued.

"It is much more than that," Merlon argued. "Believers of this philosophy learned to view their problems as gateways to achievements and answers they sought, rather than insurmountable walls or barriers. Upon opening these gateways, one can achieve absolute mental clarity. Thus, the technique that I will guide you through is known as opening the gateways to clarity.

"Gateways…to clarity…," Junior repeated as he took a deep breath. "Okay, if you really think this is what I need, where do we start?"

"Before we begin, I must warn you that opening the gateways to clarity is an intense process. It will cause immense exhaustion on your physical body, strain on your mind, and it will force you to confront very deep and painful emotions. It will likely be the most intense experience of your life." Junior gulped. "Furthermore, once you begin this process, you cannot stop until you have opened all of your gateways. Abandoning this exercise before it is completed has been known to cause irreparable trauma and in some cases, it has driven people into complete insanity because they have been ultimately unable to truly acknowledge the fears and emotions that they have buried deep within themselves."

"B-but...it's the only way I'll be able to complete your training…right?" Junior asked nervously.

"In your current state, you stand to gain immense benefit from completing this trial. The growth you will achieve is perhaps even more than Roy, Larry, or Peach obtained in their time with me," Merlon answered. "If you are able to open all of your gateways to clarity, you will achieve a sense of unshakable inner peace that many magic users fail to reach in their lifetime. With absolute mental clarity, your potential for growth as a magic user will become limitless. The magic training itself will be of no real obstacle to you, and you will be capable of mastering far more powerful and complex magic techniques, and much sooner than most."

Junior took another deep breath as he let all of this sink in. He weighed the options in silence, then reached his decision.

"Okay," the Koopa Prince agreed.

"Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, I'll do whatever it takes. Anything to get stronger." 

* * *

After nearly an entire day of hiking, Larry, Roy, Peach and Iggy reached Bowser's castle at last. Peach suggested they rest a moment to catch their breath. But Roy advised the group to keep it short since they still had work to do. They decided to take cover behind a large set of boulders at the bottom of the hill leading up to the castle's entrance. Larry climbed up on top of one of the boulders to get a better view of their destination. Luckily, the spot was close enough for them to gather some good surveillance without the need for binoculars, but just far enough away that they couldn't be easily spotted by any potential enemies who might be keeping watch for them.

Something seemed…off. The castle's entire exterior line of defense was barren. There was not a soul around; not a single body occupying any of the look-out towers or patrolling the tops of the walls. There was no sign of any of Bowser's own troops, or any foreigners whom the group was expecting to have set up shop by now. Even more suspicious, the drawbridge was down and the main security gate was up. The castle entrance was wide open for them to meander on through. It was all too easy.

"Hmm…I don't like this," said Roy. "It's too quiet. Why doesn't Contemno have anybody guarding the place?"

"Maybe there's no one home," Larry suggested. Roy shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. No way. The guy specifically told us he was there to conquer Bowser's castle for himself. Unless somebody else beat us here and already chased him out, there's no way he's not there now."

"It can't be helped," said Iggy. "We'll just need to proceed with caution. But remember, we're not here to pick fights or to take back the castle just yet. Right now, our number one priority should be securing a route to the airship."

"Right, let's get this show on the road," said Larry as he hopped down from the rock and began walking out towards the path. Roy tugged at the Koopaling's tail, halting him.

"Where are you going? We're not walking through the front door,"

"But it's open!"

"I'm certain it's a trap," Peach warned. "We should probably find another way in."

"Let's take a look around the other side. I've got an idea," said Iggy as he motioned for the group to follow him.

The group hurried around the side of the castle and hopped over the eerily empty moat to reach the back wall. Larry and Peach's eyes slowly scanned the structure from bottom to top in both awe and mild dread. Climbing this massive stone wall would be impossible without some form of gargantuan ladder or grappling hook.

"Heh, just as I thought," said Iggy as he smirked and adjusted his glasses.

"What're you thinkin' Iggs?" Roy inquired. The Koopaling pointed and drew everyone's attention to the top of the building.

"I figure with a little magic, we can get in from up there without getting spotted." Larry and Peach looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well…I've got a trick that might work," said Roy. He waved his hand and motioned for them all to step away a few paces. "Ya might wanna step back. I'm still a little new to this." The Koopaling took a deep breath and put his palms together. He then stepped towards the wall and put his hands firmly against it. No one was sure what to think, as they had no idea what Roy was trying to do.

A mild rumbling sound came from the stone bricks immediately near them. Roy slowly stepped back. To the group's astonishment, a large chunk of the wall came along with him; as if it were magnetically tethered to his hands. Once he was out far enough, Roy shoved his arms down across his torso from his shoulders to his hips. The stone block reacted and flattened itself immediately.

The result was a large, flat stone platform sitting on the ground in front of them. The most bizarre part was that the wall which Roy had used to create this platform remained completely intact. The hole that had been created by the missing piece magically restored itself with new bricks in its place. It now looked exactly the same as it did a moment ago. Roy had duplicated a portion of the castle wall and used it to create something new using his own hands.

"Woah…what _was_ that!?" Larry asked in astonishment. Roy flexed his bicep proudly.

"Physical magic. It ain't just about doin' stuff to your own body. You can use it to manipulate stuff in the physical world around ya, too," Roy explained. "Merlon taught me that."

"Okay, so what now?" Peach asked. Roy motioned for his companions to step onto the platform. Once everyone was in position, Roy hopped aboard himself and clapped his hands again. The platform began to rumble beneath their feet. Suddenly, it shot up into the air like a makeshift elevator. The group quickly ascended along the castle wall as Roy rotated his shoulders and swayed his arms around in a rhythmic pushing and pulling motion as he maintained the platforms momentum while they rode.

The group hopped off the platform once they reached the top of the castle wall. As if on command, the platform disappeared into thin air. Peach scanned the area and found no signs of any immediate danger. The emptiness of the castle was growing more and more unsettling. Given what she had learned about Contemno's invasion, she was expecting the castle to be crawling with the mage's henchmen. But Bowser's castle seemed abandoned more than anything else.

"Alright, it looks like we're on the upper exterior passage on level 5," said Iggy. If we can get to the central stair tower towards the middle, we'll just need to take the staircase that leads all the way down to the ship hangar in the basement."

"Wait…why do you keep airships in the basement?" Peach asked. "Since they're meant to be airborne, wouldn't it be easier to station them on the roof?"

"Ideally, yes," Iggy answered. "But King Bowser used to be super paranoid about leaving the ships vulnerable to bad weather or an enemy airstrike if they were kept on the roof. The castle actually extends underground and the ship hangar opens up about halfway down the face of a cliffside."

"Uh-huh, so we just get the ship up and running, then fly it out the back," Larry added.

"One step at a time, Larry," said Roy. "Let's just focus on makin' sure we don't run into anybody on our way down the stairs, yeah?"

The team reached the staircase with ease and descended into the darkness of the unknown that awaited them. 

* * *

Junior and Merlon sat still in the darkness of the empty room. The Koopa Prince listened with great intensity as his teacher guided him carefully through the process that was yet to come.

"There are three steps to opening the gateways to clarity," said Merlon. "First, you must awaken the hurt that sleeps in the deepest, darkest parts within you. Then, you must accept this hurt as a fundamental part of yourself and your growth in order to transform it. Finally, you will release the hurt in its new form so that it will provide guidance to you in your future actions. Awakening, acceptance, and release. These are the three key steps to opening a gateway to clarity."

"Awakening...acceptance…and release," Junior rehearsed. "Okay, I think I get it. How many gateways to I have to open? How much hurt do you see in me?"

"In your current state, you have five gateways to open before you can reach clarity," Merlon answered.

"Five…huh. That seems like a lot. Is that normal? How many gateways do people normally have when they try this?"

"That I cannot say for certain. Everyone lives a drastically different life from one another. They all have their own problems, thoughts, and perspectives. Some people are naturally stronger in will, so they might have fewer gateways or ones that are simply easier to open. While others may be suffering from so much hurt with so many gateways that they might never achieve mental clarity in a lifetime of intense training. Even so, the number of gateways does not change what must be done. The process remains the same," Merlon explained.

"I see…," said Junior as his confidence shrunk.

"Do not despair, Prince Junior. While it is true that there is much work to be done, I will be here to guide you every step of the way. And I believe that if you can open all five of your gateways, you will achieve power and wisdom beyond your wildest dreams," Merlon assured. Junior smiled.

"You really think so?"

"I do." If Merlon's face had not been shrouded in shadow, Junior was confident that he would be smiling with that sentiment.

"Alright then. Where do we start?"

"We will begin with the first gateway. The first step is to awaken the hurt that sleeps within you in order to reveal its potential for change. You must bring the painful thoughts to the forefront of your mind." Junior closed his eyes and breathed through his snout. "Standing before you right now is the gateway of guilt."

"Gateway…of guilt…," Junior confirmed.

"This form of hurt is born from intense feelings of embarrassment, shame, or regret. We remember events or actions from our past that we are least proud of. We view these moments as our times of greatest weakness. Now, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. In the life you have lived up until this moment, what is your greatest regret?" Junior took a breath before answering.

"I…didn't train hard enough for my magic exam…," Junior admitted. "Ludwig, Kammy, and everyone else were all working so hard to help me get ready to become the next king. But I wasn't ready, and it was all my fault. I slacked off in my studies. I didn't practice when I was supposed to. I let them all down and I tried to run away from it all. When Contemno invaded the castle that night, they needed me to protect them. But I wasn't strong enough. I failed to become the leader my people needed. I let everyone down…"

Junior could feel an intense, burning sensation in his throat. It was hotter than any semblance of fire he had ever tried to breathe. This was a new phenomenon to him, and it ran deep in the pit of his stomach. But in spite of the great discomfort, Junior maintained his composure. This was a necessary hurt. He was sure of it.

"Now it is time for the second step in opening the gateway," said Merlon. "You must accept this hurt."

"How do I do that?"

"You must understand that life is a great mystery. We each begin our humble existence in reality with an understanding of nothing. We spend all of our time on this earth learning about ourselves and the world around us. However, the reality of death reminds us that our time is limited. Because of this, we become panicked and rushed. We scold ourselves for wasting such precious time by making mistakes. However, what we fail to realize is that these mistakes are the cornerstones of learning."

"Really?"

"Yes. We cannot learn and grow unless we make mistakes, because it is only when we recognize what we should _not_ do, that the correct path begins to reveal itself before us. This path reveals itself to us through forgiveness. Prince Junior, in order to accept the hurt of guilt, you must learn to forgive yourself. You must recognize in your heart that you did not make this mistake intentionally."

"You're right…I didn't mean to fail...," Junior affirmed.

"To accept this hurt and transform it so that it will become useful to your growth, you must admit to yourself what caused you to make the mistake that you regret so deeply. Ask yourself, why did you allow this mistake to happen?"

"I…," the Koopa Prince hesitated. He had to think of something. He had to get through this. The painful memories flashed through his mind again and again; faster and faster. The more he thought about them, the more it hurt to remember them. At last, it arrived. Like a light cutting through the darkness, Junior found the truth at the heart of it all. It was time to speak this truth.

"I was…afraid," said Junior. "Everything was happening too fast. I didn't want to grow up. I didn't want to admit that I'm not a kid anymore; and that I have responsibilities now. I thought that if I ignored my duties as the prince, then they might go away and I…I could remain a kid forever."

"Change is indeed frightening. It eludes our control and our initial understanding. Often times we attempt to run away or hide from change because we are afraid of losing ourselves or the things we love most to this change. But, this fear is derived from a place of love. You loved the child that you used to be."

"Yes," Junior agreed.

"This child that you love deeply may vanish from the mirror, but it is not lost. For this child lives on _inside_ of you. The memories of your childhood will remain a part of you for the rest of your life. You will carry this child with you through many more changes in your lifetime. Yet through it all, the child will still remain with you."

"No matter what I go through…I'm still me. Always. Not everything about me has to change," said Junior.

"Exactly. Now that you have accepted this hurt as a part of you, it is time for the final step. You must release it. How will this hurt serve you in the future?"

"I…can still do it. I can still learn the magic I need in order to…save everyone. There's still time for me to turn this all around! And I _know_ I can do this because I'm doing it _my_ way! _I_ am in control!" Junior exclaimed proudly as he jumped to his feet and pumped his arms in the air in a celebratory fashion.

"Very good, Prince Junior," Merlon praised warmly. "You have opened the gateway of guilt."

"I…I did? That was it?" Junior asked. Merlon nodded. "Wow…that wasn't so bad. Maybe I _can_ do this…"

"It is too soon to celebrate, young one. Remember that you still have four gateways left to open, and they might not all be as easy as this one." Junior calmed himself down immediately and allowed the seriousness to return and overtake his demeanor. He sat down and crossed his legs again.

"You're right. Let's move on." 

* * *

To the group's surprise, they were able to descend through the majority of the castle without running into any trouble. Every step they took down the narrow staircase was quiet and calculated. Peach followed closely behind Iggy in order to jump to his aid if something was waiting just around the corner. Their necks began to grow sore from having to be perpetually vigilant, and paranoia found a home in their hearts thanks to the darkness of the unknown eternally looming just ahead.

Larry's palms were damp with sweat, and he wished the enemy would show up already. If they were going to have to fight, he wanted to do it now. The anticipation was murder. But as they descended deeper and deeper into the castle, still nothing came. In fact, the sheer _absence_ of any other beings anywhere in the abode was growing to be even more terrifying than the idea of running into an enemy itself. Just where were Contemno and his followers?

If he really did conquer this castle as he previously claimed, then surely Peach and the others should have found – or have been discovered by - someone in leagues with him by now. A sinister suspicion was growing in Peach's gut. Perhaps they'd already been detected, but the enemy just wasn't approaching them for some reason. What if Contemno _knew_ they'd come back here, but he was lying in wait? It was a terrifying thought to be sure, and Peach couldn't find the strength to voice this concern with her teammates. At least, not yet.

Iggy pulled his teammates aside for a slight detour once they had reached the second floor so he could pick up his supplies from his lab, as he'd mentioned prior. Minutes later, the Koopaling swung the pack over his shoulder proudly and shut the door behind him as he met the others out in the hallway.

"Good, I should be able to get this stuff ready for action in no time back at Merlon's place," said Iggy.

"Got everything ya need?" Roy asked. Iggy nodded.

"Excellent, then let's get going," Peach suggested. "The basement shouldn't be too much farther down, right?"

At last, they reached the garage in the underground caverns of Bowser's castle. Larry punched a password into a keypad; lighting it up green. A subtle thud followed, and the metallic doors slowly creeped open. Roy flipped on a light switch, and the entire ship hangar was illuminated in all of its florescent glory before them. A perpetual stench of motor oil permeated the air.

Peach was both impressed and bothered by the enormous workspace she was seeing. The entire warehouse-esque space was incredibly cluttered and littered with tools, trinkets, machines, vehicles, and miscellaneous pieces of technology. She had always been secretly impressed that someone like Bowser was able to engineer fully-functioning aircrafts, but she never imagined he'd have such an elaborately modern facility for developing so much technology.

If only it were better maintained. Finding anything at all in this mess was sure to take an entire team of excavators. It was impossible to tell what pieces of technology resting on any of the many metallic tables all around were completed, under repair, or stuck in the early stages of R&D as there was no indication of any sort of departmental structure or organization in this place. Not to mention that the princess had no idea what most of this stuff was actually for.

Peach watched the Koopalings hop over random mechanical equipment, parts, and pieces scattered in disarray all over the floor. It would take great precision to maneuver around and not step on anything. Luckily, the airships were easy to spot since they towered over all of this mess. There were half a dozen of the wooden giants docked in a line at the end of the garage near the tall metallic overhead door that Peach assumed led to the outside.

The team followed Iggy up the metal ladder and climbed aboard the airship. There wasn't much to this one in particular. It seemed a lot less elaborate in design than ones Bowser had used to invade the Mushroom Kingdom in the past. In fact, it was more akin to a pirate ship with propellers strapped to it than any sort of battleship. There were no additional floors or rooms aside from the hull below the main deck - which was accessible through a set of cellar doors – and a small rectangular cabin on one end of the main deck.

Roy examined the masts of the ship for signs of damage and Larry tested the steering wheel on the quarterdeck - which was located on the roof of the cabin - while Peach and Iggy entered the cabin itself.

Iggy planted himself in the metallic chair in front of a large computer monitor, flipped a switch, and powered the device on.

"Umm…Iggy?" Peach spoke up softly. "Shouldn't we start heading back to Merlon's? I mean, we clearly have our route to the airship now and you found the supplies you needed. I'd say we accomplished our mission."

"Well, you're right," Iggy agreed. "But still…these ships have been out of commission for over a decade. I think I should at least make sure everything's running properly just so we don't run into any problems later." The princess wasn't thrilled with this answer. It made sense. But still, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were taking a larger, unnecessary risk by staying here longer than they needed to.

The computer screen lit up the entire room. A prompt for a password displayed on the monitor seconds later. Iggy scratched his head.

"Hmmm…I'm sure the password was changed years ago, but I should still be able to bypass the security walls." The Koopaling began furiously typing away at the keyboard. The screen went completely black and an array of neon green numbers and foreign computer terminology scrolled by at blistering speed. Peach was feeling disoriented just from watching.

Iggy mumbled incessantly to himself as he worked. Peach wasn't sure if he was expecting her to give any sort of response to anything he was saying, or if any of the dozens of questions he was voicing aloud were purely rhetorical. She didn't have the slightest understanding of what he was talking about, so the princess resolved to remain quiet and simply watch the Koopaling work. Then, the computer uttered a harsh buzzer sound as the screen went completely red.

"Strange…that usually works…," said Iggy, his face puzzled.

"Well…can you still get through somehow?" Peach asked. The Koopaling crossed his arms to ponder this setback for a moment.

"Normally, we activate the ships' main engines through these computer terminals. But I can't get access on this one for some reason," he explained with a defeated sigh. "It'll be a longshot, but I'll have to try hotwiring the ship at this point to turn everything on manually."

"Do whatever you think is best," said Peach. "We're counting on you, Iggy." The Koopaling nodded and hurried over to the back wall of the room. Taking out a screwdriver from his bag, Iggy removed a metal panel and crawled halfway inside the wall to work his techno magic.

"Iggy, what's taking so long?" Larry pestered as he and Roy entered the room. A muffled bang and a cry of anguish came out of the hole in the wall.

"Keep your shell on, will ya!?" Iggy yelled when he pulled himself out of the wall, rubbing his head. "I ran into a little problem with testing the ship and I'm working to fix it as fast as I can!"

"Well speed it up!" Roy ordered. "I don't wanna stay here any longer than I gotta. It's too weird that we haven't seen any sign of Contemno or any of his cronies yet. I'm tellin' ya, something's not right."

"If you really want to help, then go out and keep watch for them!" Iggy exclaimed angrily. "Honestly, you guys. I can't work on the ship any faster with all of you hounding me like this!" Larry and Roy backed off immediately and left the room. The knot of concern was growing in the pit of Peach's stomach, but she knew the reason why.

She sympathized with Iggy's frustration. Right now, this entire mission was riding on him and his ability to get the ship running. He was undoubtedly trying his best. But even so, no one could blame Larry or Roy for being impatient either. They were all deep in enemy territory after all. Peach put her hands together to try and maintain composure. That dreadful feeling of uselessness was creeping in again; one she especially knew all too well. If only there was something more she could do help her friends at the moment.

* * *

"Now then," Merlon started. "The second gateway within you, is the gateway of sorrow." Junior nodded slowly, but had nothing to say.

"This form of hurt is born from feelings of sadness, which can come from many places. Most often, however, we experience this hurt when we think of the people in our lives whom we have lost. The feeling is most intense when these people have been part of our lives for a significant amount of time. In that time, such people teach us what it means to love and how happiness is born from giving and receiving that love."

"I see…"

"But, time is forever locked in a constant state of forward progression. As time passes, people naturally succumb to the inevitability of death when the clocks of their mortality run out. Thus, the hurt takes form when we are faced with the reality that the people we love will die, and we must eventually learn to live our lives without having our love reciprocated to us from the original source. It is a heavy burden; one that many people are unable to accept as they struggle to move on from those they have lost," he explained.

Time slowed down around Junior as he allowed Merlon's words sink in. He already had a pretty good idea of what this hurt was to him.

"Now, Prince Junior," Merlon continued. "To awaken the hurt, you must search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. Who brings forth the most immense sadness in your heart? Who has created your greatest sorrow?" Similar to the first gateway, Junior didn't hesitate to think of an answer.

"My mom when I was little…and now Kammy," he responded. Tears formed in Junior's eyes, but he fought to keep a steady tone as he spoke. "All these years…I never knew what kind of person my mom really was. I've only ever heard stories and seen her in photographs. But it's not enough. It'll never be enough. Kammy was full of mysteries too. I feel like there was so much about her I never knew. I don't know how to be…okay with the idea that I'll never know the truth about either of them."

"In order to accept this hurt, you must fully understand the two components that create the love you hold with the people you've lost," said Merlon.

"What are they?" Junior asked.

"The first component is that you have received love from another. You have _been_ loved. In your case, you were loved by your mother and Kammy. The second component is your desire to return this love to the original person. You wish to fully love your mother and Kammy in return for their love they gave to you. When the person of value dies, it seems as though they are unable to provide you with any further love. It is the death of the first component. In turn, the second component also dies, as you lose your desire to return the love; knowing it will never be received and reciprocated. The cycle is broken." It was growing harder and harder by the second for Junior to hold back his tears. Any doubt about the validity of Merlon's warnings to him before about this being an intense experience were eradicated.

"How am I supposed to accept that?" Junior's voice trembled as he spoke. But he soldiered on. "The fact that I'll never be loved again by them, or that I'll never want to love them anymore. I do! I always will! But it's not fair that they can't-"

"You have yet to understand the full truth, Prince Junior," Merlon clarified.

"The full…truth?" the Koopa Prince repeated as he wiped his snout.

"Although it might seem that the second component – your desire to return love – has died, there is still hope for it to survive. We allow our desire to return love to vanish when we convince ourselves that our loved one's entire presence has disappeared. But this is not true. While we may no longer be able to see them in the physical world that makes up our reality, the people we love are never truly gone. You see, these people live on inside of us."

"Inside of…me?" Junior echoed as he tenderly placed his hand over his chest.

"Yes, they live on through our memories. We remember the people we love. We hold their memories very dearly. We honor people at the time of their deaths by remembering them. As long as we remember the beloved people we have lost, they will never truly disappear. The love will remain alive in our hearts." Junior clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as his vision blurred.

"Mom…and Kammy…t-they're always w-with me…in my heart…," Junior sobbed.

"Precisely," Merlon affirmed. "To awaken the hurt, we acknowledge the love we shared with a precious person who has physically departed from this world. To accept the hurt, we must allow the love we shared with the precious person to live on through our memory of them. And in time, the love will be reborn in the form of new love: the precious people we still have in our lives, and the precious people who will soon enter our lives."

"Is that…the release?" Junior inquired as he wiped his eyes with his arm.

"Very good, young one," Merlon confirmed. "You can release this hurt by allowing your love that is shared with the people who are still part of your life now, to grow stronger. And, allow your heart to remain open to new love from new people whom you invite into your life in the future. Our love is strongest when it comes from many different places." Junior smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. He already had this, and he knew it. Images flashed through his mind.

Larry, Roy, Iggy, Ludwig, Wendy, Lemmy, Morton, and of course, Bowser.

Junior wasn't alone. He still had a family that loved him. Kammy and Celia might've been gone, but he could still remember things about them; even though there wasn't much left of his memory of his mother. But still, Junior felt slightly foolish at this realization. He hadn't shown much appreciation for the people who were still in his life right now. That needed to change.

"We'll grow stronger and get through this…together," Junior muttered. "I love you guys. I'm with you."

"Well done, Prince Junior," Merlon praised softly. "You have opened the gateway of sorrow." 

* * *

Suddenly, alarms rang and blared as the monitor flashed in red.

"DAMMIT!" Iggy cursed from inside the wall. Peached rushed over to the computer screen, but she still felt utterly helpless. What could she possibly do? She didn't have the slightest clue what was going on or how she could help fix it. But something needed to be done immediately. With the ship making this much noise, they were sure to be discovered by Contemno – if he hadn't known about their presence already.

But the boisterous sound ceased just as quickly as it arrived. Whatever Iggy had triggered just now, he'd managed to shut it off just as fast. He emerged from the wall as Larry and Roy barged into the cabin once again.

"Iggy, what the hell are you doing!?" Larry scolded. "Are you _trying_ to get us caught!?"

"They're probably on their way here right now! We're screwed!" Roy added.

"OH GET OFF MY SHELL, WILL YA!? AS IF I _MEANT_ TO DO THAT!" Iggy exclaimed. "IF YOU WANNA CRAWL BACK HERE AND TRY TO HOTWIRE A BATTLE CRUISER YOURSELF, BE MY GUEST!"

"Enough!" Peach cut in as she stepped between the feuding siblings. "Fighting isn't going to help! Now at least one of you needs to get back out there and keep an eye out for any trouble. We need to act as soon as they arrive," she ordered. Unsettled by Peach's sudden assertiveness, Roy did as he was told. "Now Iggy, is there _anything_ else we can try in the time we have left?" The Koopaling approached the computer monitor.

"Well I…," Iggy started. He trailed off when he noticed the computer monitor. "What on earth…?" Peach and Larry followed his gaze. The screen had gone completely white with bold red text displayed. It read: **SECURITY SHUTDOWN CODE 97Y-J IN PROGRESS. INSERT MASTER KEY TO OVERRIDE.**

"'Master key?' What does that mean?" asked Larry.

"I don't know! I've never seen this code before!" Iggy exclaimed as he reached under the chair and snatched up a thick, dusty manual. He flipped through the pages rapidly until something caught his eye. He sighed and shook his head. "I was afraid of this…"

"What's wrong?" asked Peach.

"The airships have a final defense protocol in place in order to prevent people from stealing them by activating them the way I just tried to," Iggy explained. "Basically, they go into a sort of ultimate lockdown mode where even authorized personnel can't get control. We've never had to use this feature in the past, and I frankly forgot it existed."

"C'mon, Iggy. You gotta figure out _some_ way to get the ship working here. We're counting on you," said Larry. The brainy Koopaling scanned the entire control panel slowly. His eyes stopped when they spotted a rectangular box at the far end, covered in a heavy layer of dust. Brushing it away, Iggy lifted what turned out to be a lid of some sort, and revealed a slot for a key labeled _Master Key_.

"At this point, we need this 'master key.' There's no other way around it. The computer won't take any other inputs," said Iggy.

"Maybe this ship is just busted. We could try one of the other ones around here," Larry offered.

"There's no point. They all run on the exact same operating system, so the result won't change. It would just be a waste of time."

"Okay so where can we find the master key, then?" Peach probed. Iggy threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"I don't know! That's the problem! I've never heard of this key until now because code 97Y-J has never been _activated_ until now! I don't have the slightest idea where this key could possibly be!"

"Alright, well let's just be calm and think carefully about this," Peach replied as she maintained her composure. "If you were Bowser, and you needed to hide a key that does something extremely important like control the airships, where would you put it?" Iggy took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts.

"Well…there are two places I can think of," Iggy began. "The first is the royal archives. That's where a lot of the castle's secret and valuable information and items are kept. The other place is Bowser's room."

"His _room_? Like…his personal living quarters?" Larry echoed in disbelief. Iggy nodded.

"Oh c'mon, Larry. You know as well as I do just how paranoid King Bowser is. He's definitely the kind of guy to keep important valuables close to his person at all times. The master key could very well be under his mattress or something."

"Okay, so where do we go first?" Peach asked. At that moment, Roy poked his head in through the door.

"Guys, we got company." The group hurried out of the cabin and ducked down for cover as Roy guided their attention over to the garage exit. Standing at the opposite end of the gargantuan room was Eris. Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy were positioned at her side with blank expressions on each of their faces. Their eyes each glowed an ominous red.

"You can come on out. I know you're hiding up there," said Eris in a matter-of-fact tone. Peach cursed under her breath as they each stood up and hopped down off the ship to meet their adversary at ground level.

"So, it's you. That woman from the forest," said Peach.

"As I told you before, my name's Eris. I'd ask you to remember it, but you won't be thinking for yourselves much longer." Larry took a step forward.

"...Guys?…What're you doing with _her!_? Get away, she's dangerous!" he warned. His plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as none of his three siblings moved or even reacted.

"Save your breath, shorty. Your brothers and sister here work for us now," said Eris.

"What!? You rotten…change them back! Now!" Larry exclaimed. Eris merely smirked at this.

"What's the matter? Feeling lonely? Don't worry, you can be with them again soon. Just make it easy on yourself and come over here. Same goes for the rest of you."

"Where's Contemno?" Peach interjected.

"He's away; had more important business to deal with," Eris answered. "So, we're holding down the fort here until he gets back. You know, you saved us a lot of trouble by coming back here on your own. You have our thanks for that."

"What do we do now?" Roy whispered through his teeth.

"We have to get past them and find the master key," said Iggy. "If we don't, then this whole mission will have been for naught."

"Well, we need some sort of plan first," Peach advised.

"It's a little late to be strategizing _now_ , don't you think?" Eris called out to them as she and the other three Koopalings began approaching them. "Probably should've done that before you made so much noise and brought us all here. Just make it easy on yourselves and come with me."

"Everybody duck," Larry whispered. The group turned to him in confusion. Roy noticed Larry had his hands behind his back and was quietly putting them together. He was about to try something.

"What're you-" Iggy started.

"DUCK!" Larry shouted again. Without thinking, Peach, Iggy, and Roy all squatted down. Larry summoned his shield and in a full 360 degree turn of his body, he tossed it high into the air like a frisbee. Everyone in the room – ally and adversary alike – were dumbfounded by his maneuver. Before they caught on, it was too late. The shield cut through a series of ropes tied to the ceiling, which had been suspending the skeletal remains of an abandoned aircraft prototype in the air. The heavy object plummeted to the floor below with blinding speed.

Lemmy, Wendy, and Morton were crushed by the obstacle as it landed with a thud and a series of echoing clatters. But Eris managed to leap out of the way in time.

"Let's go!" Iggy commanded as he and the others took off in a sprint. They sped past the broken aircraft prototype and made a beeline for the garage's exit.

"Not so fast!" Eris exclaimed after him. She lifted the entire junk pile with one hand and shot putted it directly in front of them; forcing the group to halt. Lemmy, Morton and Wendy slowly stood up.

"D-did she just throw that _whole_ thing at us?" Roy stammered.

"What _is_ she!?" Larry asked, terrified.

"Oh, you're about to find out," said Eris as she stalked towards them. With a flick of her wrist, the exit doors slammed shut. The team was now trapped in the garage with Eris and their zombie-like siblings.

"Not good…," said Iggy. 

* * *

"Let us move on to the third gateway," said Merlon.

"Right," Junior agreed.

"This is the gateway of anger." The Koopa Prince gulped at this. Anger was certainly an emotion that ran deep in his family to say the least. He could feel the confidence slowly leaking out of him all of a sudden. "This form of hurt is not born from any deeper emotion in a traditional sense. Rather, our anger is a rigid perception that we choose to take in response to certain outcomes of the events in our lives. When we believe we have been wronged, mistreated, misunderstood, or attacked in some way, our hearts seek immediate change. This is because we perceive that a certain imbalance in our lives has been created, and we retaliate with a passionate desire to correct it."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean…," Junior admitted.

"When our hearts believe we have been wronged by another in some way, it is possible we may experience any combination of fear, sadness, or confusion. But we choose not to express these emotions. Instead, we hide them underneath a cloak of aggression, and we use this aggression to force others to blindly respect or obey our desires and thoughts. But, anger is often not the whole story. Even though we may believe the other person is at fault for an unsatisfactory outcome, we are not always seeing all of the truths."

"Okay…," Junior acknowledged half-heartedly.

"Prince Junior, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. Who or what has caused you to experience the most anger in your heart?"

"Tch, where do I start? I'm angry that my mom had to abandon me and Dad the way she did, or Mario for always ruining our plans over the years. Of course I also hate Contemno for just about every damn thing he's done up until now and-"

"Prince Junior, simply listing the names of people whom you choose to shift blame upon is not the point of this exercise," Merlon advised.

"I know, I know. It's just…easy to get mad at people, y'know? It makes me feel…I guess…better about myself..."

"Perceptive. We will address that concept momentarily. For now, I want you to focus; clear away the fog in your mind until you arrive at the source of your most immediate, deep-seeded hatred." The Koopa Prince sighed and closed his eyes.

He and Merlon sat in absolute silence for several minutes. Junior's attention bounced around aimlessly from one idea to the next. But just as he was about to abandon his seemingly fruitless efforts to pinpoint a central source of anger, he felt something. It was faint, but still noticeable. There was a slight tugging sensation in his chest; as if something was pulling on his heart. Junior shifted his focus to this pain and followed it.

Junior's memories raced by in a blur. The pain in his chest was growing more and more apparent. He had to be getting closer to the source. The intensity spiked, and Junior released a small groan as he winced. His chest was hurting more and more. The pain grew worse and worse. The Koopa Prince could feel drops of sweat racing down his scales. He felt himself on the verge of passing out.

Junior stopped himself from falling backwards onto the floor. His breaths were shallow and hoarse. But it worked. The answer was clear to him now as the image burned in his mind. He found the source of this pain as it gradually subsided from his chest.

"It's…Peach," Junior admitted at last. "I'm angry at her the most."

"Why?" Merlon probed.

"… _Why_? Isn't it obvious!? She took my dad away from me for no reason at all! I had to grow up on my own for 10 years without _either_ of my parents around! It wasn't fair! I didn't deserve this! IT WAS _HER_ FAULT FOR BEING SELFISH AND CRUEL AND…NOW SHE THINKS SHE CAN JUST WALTZ INTO _MY_ LIFE AND START CONTROLLING ME TOO AND I JUST…I…I-"

"Prince Junior, you are losing your focus again," Merlon warned him calmly. "You must focus."

"I'm trying!" Junior exclaimed with a frustrated growl. "But it's so easy for you to sit there and say that! You didn't go through what I did! I doubt you'd understand it at all!"

"Whether or not I understand the full context is not relevant to your training. If you wish to open the gateway of anger, you must learn to not succumb to your rage so easily. You must train yourself to view this situation with a clear mind."

"B-but my dad is like this too! So it shouldn't be any surprise that –"

"You are shifting the blame onto others for your own reaction."

"Well…it's not like I _want_ to be angry about this, I just-"

"You are choosing to be angry." Junior sighed.

"I know…," he admitted at last. "Merlon…I don't know if I can do this. It just…hurts too much. Maybe we should just call it quits."

"I will not allow you to quit," Merlon replied rather bluntly.

"What? Why not?"

"As I warned you earlier, opening the gateways to clarity is an incredibly intense phenomenon," said Merlon. "It pushes you to your absolute limits physically and mentally alike. In fact, I'd wager that this training will likely stand as the most painful, unforgiving, harrowing, and ultimately humbling experience of your entire life. But that is precisely why you unlock such unlimited and immense potential growth as a magic user when you complete this training. It is the ultimate rite of passage, as it requires you to confront all of your greatest fears and weaknesses at once. Many are not able to stand up to such a task."

"What if I'm just like them? What if I can't do it?" Junior wondered solemnly.

"Impossible," Merlon denied. "Prince Junior, you possess more potential than any other magic user I have met in my lifetime. You have an incredibly strong drive to chase after what you want. You possess a wealth of empathy stemming from how deeply in touch you are with your emotions. This will resonate with others and draw them towards you, which in turn, will make you a great leader."

"Merlon…"

"I will not allow you to quit because I believe in you. It is true that there is much hurt dwelling within you, which is why you have five gateways that must be opened. However, I believe with all my heart that you are worthy of all the potential and power you will obtain from completing this training. Yet, my willpower alone will only get you so far. To reach the end, you must believe in _yourself_."

Junior was floored by his instructor's words. He was flattered by them at the very least, and wished so desperately for them to ring true. Perhaps it was this very desire for the words to be true that gave Junior just enough willpower of his own to not give in just yet.

"Thanks…," said Junior with a sniff. Merlon nodded.

"Now then, let us try this again."


	25. Sibling Showdown

**RECAP:**

 **In what he believed to be his final moment of life, Bowser was rescued from certain death by the mysterious diner waitress Leanna. Contemno retreated, and Leanna escorted Bowser and the fatally wounded Mario out of the abandoned orphanage so they could return to her diner for medical treatment. From her weaponry, to her motorcycle, to her magical healing remedy, to her mysterious relationship to Contemno, there appeared to be much more to this seemingly simple woman than meets the eye.**

 **Meanwhile, Junior was to undergo a specialized, accelerated magic training with Merlon in the Realm of Refuge. But to do so, he first needed to establish inner peace within himself by opening what Merlon referred to as the gateways of clarity. There were five in total inside the young prince, and doing so promised to give Junior seemingly unlimited power and potential for magic mastery. Junior successfully managed to open the gateways of guilt and sorrow, but struggled to maintain his composure when confronted with the gateway of anger.**

 **At the same time, Iggy, Larry, Roy and Peach successfully infiltrated Bowser's castle and reached the air ship in the basement's garage. However, problems soon arose when Iggy discovered he would not be able to control the ship without first obtaining a "master key." To make matters worse, the group was quickly discovered by Eris, Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy – the latter three being controlled by some mysterious, malevolent power. Now the group was caught between a lofty search for a mysterious key, and a fight against their own siblings with a powerful foe.**

* * *

After several minutes, Junior fully regained his composure. When Merlon sensed his student was ready, they returned to where they had left off.

"For the gateway of anger, let us try to awaken the hurt once more," said Merlon. "I believe at this point, it would be fair enough to assume that the hurt inside of you stems from Princess Peach and something you feel she did to you that was wrong." Junior remained silent. His mind sorted through the slew of irrational insults and blame he wanted to voice about her by habit. He couldn't allow any of it to pass through. Not anymore. There had to be something more he could say; something in a more constructive way. His mind settled on something at last: the raw truth, detached from his opinions.

"Peach took my father away from me," Junior answered at last. "She forced him to stay at her castle for the past ten years, so I was left to undergo my coronation training without him."

"Very good, Prince Junior. State only the facts. Continue," Merlon praised.

"I was allowed to see my father during that time, but I could tell early on that he was changing. She was doing something to him, but I didn't understand what or why. Whenever I tried talking to Dad about this during my visits, he didn't say much."

"What did he tell you?"

"Dad said there was nothing to worry about; that I was overreacting. He said he was proud of me for becoming more independent, and he always told me at the end of my visits that he would be coming home soon. This went on year after year…"

"So you are angry at Princess Peach because she took your father away, and your father did not offer the responses you were hoping for?"

"Yes…"

"Now that you have awakened this hurt, it is time you learn to accept it."

"How?"

"By locating the source of the anger within yourself."

"The source?"

"In times when we experience anger, it is essential that we evaluate ourselves by looking back upon the time of the event that caused your anger to transpire with clear eyes. You must re-examine the actions you took, and the things you believed back then. Answer honestly. Do you know the reason why Princess Peach took your father away?"

"It…was to protect him…," Junior admitted reluctantly. "Peach said that Contemno tried to kill him, and that by agreeing to execute my dad herself, Contemno would spare his life. But, she didn't go through with it. She tried to reform him instead."

"Why did she do that?"

"Peach wanted my dad to be happy. She said it would help me too."

"Now you must ask yourself, why are you angry with Princess Peach over what she did?" Junior's eyes wandered solemnly as he bunched his claws tightly into fists.

"She didn't…ask me first. To me, it seemed like she never wondered how any of this would make _me_ feel; never bothered to try and understand how…horrible it was gonna make me feel at first."

"What did you believe you were about to lose?"

"The only source of love I had left. I was afraid of being all alone…"

"Ah, but I sense that you have already realized this is not true. You were not alone, for your heart had already connected with others." Junior nodded slowly.

"Yeah…my siblings and…Kammy. I still had them."

"So at last it has become clear to you then."

"Huh? What has?"

"As you have expressed, your anger came from a place of fear. You believed Princess Peach's actions would ultimately leave you in a state of painful isolation. But, this fear ultimately did not come to pass because you were not alone. You already had others in your heart."

"Well…sure. I guess that makes sense. But, I don't really feel like I've 'accepted' this hurt," Junior confessed.

"Anger is one of the most difficult kinds of hurt to accept," said Merlon. "It involves the deconstruction of a negative belief you have held close to your heart; in your case, for many years. It will take time for you to learn how to truly live without it. But there is a solution."

"What?"

"Forgiveness. To find it in your heart to admit the error in your judgement and show a sense of empathy for what Princess Peach did." Junior sighed.

"I was afraid you were gonna say that. Merlon, I just don't think I can. I mean, I could tell Peach how all of this made me feel. But it won't matter if she's sorry or regrets it. What she did…she'll never be able to take back, even if she wants to. My dad will never be the same again. _I_ will never be the same again. It went on for too long."

"I cannot force you to forgive her, Prince Junior," said Merlon. "And I understand your hesitance to do so. It is true that the past cannot be rewritten. However, the gateway of anger will never be fully opened to you unless you can find a way to make peace with her. It is only when you are able to finally release this grudge which tethers you down that you will be able to release the hurt."

"Forgiving her feels...impossible. Isn't there anything else can I do?"

"You must start by forgiving yourself."

"Myself? Why?"

"Forgiving another is often so difficult because it involves admitting to ourselves that we misjudged them or that we made a mistake. Your feelings have become invalidated. Therefore, you must forgive yourself for your own mistake in judgement, before you can forgive Princess Peach." Junior gripped his chin to ponder this.

"So…I have to forgive _myself_ for being angry at her?" he guessed.

"Yes," Merlon affirmed. "Once you have reached a state of peace within yourself in regards to what happened, you will find that the path to forgiving another person opens itself up to you."

"What does that path look like?"

"You must determine that for yourself. What is most important is that you learn to believe you will find the answer. Prince Junior, you must give yourself permission to believe that you will find your own way to forgive Princess Peach for what she has done. Believe that you will find a way to make peace with her on your own; one that makes sense to you." Junior closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Several minutes of silence followed as the Koopa Prince pondered this. At last, an answer came to him.

"We'll move past this somehow. I'll find a way to move on…so that we can move forward." A single tear crawled down his cheek, but Junior ignored it.

"Very good, Prince Junior. Very good indeed. I understand how deeply this hurt runs within you. But you have at last awakened and accepted it. All that is left is for you to release it." Junior took several more breaths at a slow, steady pace. He offered no words, only his deepest focus. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and smiled at Merlon.

"Now, let us move on." Junior nodded. 

* * *

"Iggy!? Plan!?" Roy panicked.

"Keep them busy! I'll try and get the door open!" Iggy instructed.

"How long's _that_ gonna take!?" Larry asked.

"I don't know! Just…buy me as much time as you can!"

"Work fast!" Peach exclaimed as she summoned her golf club and twirled it. As Eris and the three other Koopalings approached, Larry, Roy and Peach charged forward to meet them. A series of smaller bouts erupted.

Morton swung a fist at Roy, but the latter dodged and delivered a counter blow. He didn't want to hurt his sibling, so he struck Morton with only a fraction of his normal strength. It didn't take long for him to realize that this would never be enough to win. Roy's hesitation caused him to take several direct punches from Morton.

'C'mon, Morty! Snap out of it!" Roy urged. Morton said nothing as he continued to slug away. Roy dodged and weaved through the punches, tackled Morton, and pushed him back with all his might. They were equally matched in strength at the moment.

Lemmy clapped his hands together. A series of large black rubber balls materialized and began to float in the air around him with an ominous red glow. Larry relaxed his guard ever so slightly. After all, how much could harm could a simple rubber ball do? This seemed more like a game of middle school dodgeball than a life-or-death battle. Lemmy thrusted each of his arms forward multiple times and launched each ball in rapid succession. Larry deflected the first few with his shield, then rolled out of the way when he discovered their combined strength overwhelmed him. Lemmy summoned another series of balls and repeated his assault.

"Lemmy, stop!" Larry urged. "I don't know what Eris did to you but…you don't wanna do this!" Like Morton, Lemmy also offered no response and continued attacking.

Iggy mashed on the keypad furiously. No good. It wasn't responding. The metal door remained firmly shut. In the corner of his eye, he saw something flying towards him. The Koopaling ducked at the last second to avoid an incoming attack – a large gold ring. He turned and saw Wendy staring him down with hateful crimson pupils. Another large gold ring materialized in her hand.

 ** _Definitely_** _not good…_ Iggy thought to himself. _Wendy's rings are deadly. If I get caught in one of those, I'm a dead Koopa…_ Wendy threw the second gold ring his way, but Iggy dodged again. He sprinted away from the door, but his hypnotized sibling gave chase as she pursued him across the garage.

Peach clutched her golf club tightly as she and Eris closed the distance between each other.

"You sure you can take me on all by yourself, princess?" Eris taunted.

"I held my own against Contemno. So yeah, I'm sure _you_ will be no problem for me either," Peach retorted confidently. Hopefully her enemy was convinced, because deep down, Peach wasn't feeling so sure of herself. After all, she had yet to see what Eris could do in a fight. If she was a close ally of Contemno, she _had_ to be powerful in some way. Underestimating her now was sure to be a death sentence.

"My, my. Someone finally grew a backbone it seems. Alright, let's see what you're really made of," said Eris as she gestured for Peach to approach with two of her fingers.

Peach swung her club at Eris from the side with all her might. Eris nonchalantly lifted her hand – which was now enclosed in a bubble of black aura. The club bounced off the bubble. Peach staggered a bit, but regained her balance quickly. She swung again at Eris from the other side. Again, Eris repelled the attack with another black bubble on her other hand.

The woman jumped forward, but Peach hopped back. The princess twirled and lunged and continued to swing at Eris from every angle she could think of; desperately searching for a blind spot. But it was no use. Eris blocked each and every attack as it came at her. Suddenly, Eris jumped and delivered a roundhouse kick directly across Peach's face; sending the princess tumbling backwards a few feet. Eris was quite nimble for someone wearing a long gown.

Peach climbed to her feet, but didn't attack right away. She released a sharp breath and shoved a strand of hair away from her face. Her current strategy was getting her nowhere. She needed to get a better grasp on Eris's power first. So, the princess opted to wait a moment for her opponent to make a move.

"You done? Great. Now it's my turn."

Peach watched as the black bubble that previously engulfed Eris's hand detached itself and began levitating over her palm. Eris threw the bubble. In a panicked reflex, Peach threw up her arm to shield her face. It worked, but her arm was singed by a black flame in the process. It dissipated after a few seconds. Suddenly, a numbness consumed her, and Peach's arm went limp slightly.

"Probably not the best idea to try blocking my magic directly," Eris teased sarcastically as she prepared to throw another orb.

Morton clapped his hands and summoned his fire mallet. He swung it viciously at Roy. The latter dodged the swings as quickly as he could, but speed was hardly his forte. Before long, Roy was left with no choice but to block the weapon head-on. He was left with excruciatingly painful burns on his triceps. But he gritted his teeth and soldiered on.

Smothering the pain under his rage, Roy slugged Morton several times. Once at his elbow to loosen the latter's grip on the fire mallet, two more times to his gut, another to his jaw, and finally one to his cheek. The final hit sent Morton back a few paces. Roy put his arms up to cover his face and took a fighting stance like a boxer waiting for the bell. Morton shook his head to shrug off his daze and stampeded back towards Roy; bellowing loudly.

Larry continued to block and roll away from the rubber balls in rhythmic succession. He was getting used to the pattern, but this was getting him nowhere. It was hardly surprising though. He knew how his brother fought. Lemmy was an expert at zoning and keeping his enemy at a distance with a steady slew of projectiles. So that meant close quarters combat was his weakness. But getting close to him was the problem Larry was now tasked with.

"I was hoping I'd get to show you guys my new trick _outside_ of a serious battle," Larry spoke aloud. "But you leave me no choice, Lem." Larry smacked the face of his shield and tossed it up into the air as it glowed in a bright blue light. Lemmy shot another ball at his unarmed opponent. Larry jumped into the air to avoid it.

The Koopaling caught the light in his hands. When it faded away, the shield was gone and a new object was left in its place. Larry took aim at Lemmy with a sleek sapphire blue pistol; decorated with a pattern of golden triangles, circles, and stars as well as a silver handle. Larry wrapped his claw around the trigger and pulled it when he saw the next ball hurdling up towards him. With a bombastic crack, a bullet of pure cyan light clashed with the ball; popping it instantly. Larry landed, smirking.

Peach summoned her tennis racket and deflected the black bubbles as they came at her. But each time, Eris caught them effortlessly and immediately returned the shots again. With each projectile Peach blocked, she could feel her returns getting weaker. Was this the result of the hit to her arm she took earlier, or were these bubbles getting stronger with every volley?

There was no time to think. Eris caught a bubble and twirled around on her heels before launching it back at Peach with tremendous velocity. The tennis racket took the full brunt of the attack, but a hole was blasted right through the strings and the weapon was knocked out of Peach's hand as it disappeared. Not missing a beat, the princess summoned her frying pan and sprinted to close the gap between her and Eris.

She made it in time. Before Eris could summon more black bubbles to protect her hands, Peach was already on top of her wailing away with her weapon. Eris took one clean hit from the pan. Then another, and another. She blocked the next one, but her opponent was already gearing up for the follow-up.

Eris took a few more hits as she waited for her window of opportunity.

There.

She released a large pulse of black aura from her hand that pushed Peach away a slight distance. Eris caught the frying pan as it fell and crushed it into pieces between her fingers. Peach was stupefied by Eris's sheer strength. Was she really that strong, or was her physical magic doing most of the work?

"Looks like you're out of toys, little girl," Eris taunted as she strolled towards Peach confidently. Her confidence waned however when she saw no fear on Peach's face.

"Not quite," Peach argued as she clapped her hands once more. 

* * *

"The fourth gateway is the gateway of fear," said Merlon. "This form of hurt is born from intense feelings of dread and a strong desire for avoidance or escape. Now, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully, Prince Junior. What are you most afraid of?" Junior winced when he recalled the moment effortlessly.

The gruesome sight of Kammy's lifeless body was still fresh in his mind, as was the monster responsible for her death; clutching that cursed blood-soaked spear.

 _"I am Contemno. As for what I want, well that's rather simple. I'll be taking this castle for myself."_

"It's…him…," Junior whispered.

 _"Then perhaps we'll just wait here for his return. He'll have to come home sometime." Contemno gently rotated his wrist in a circle. Junior could feel the chains that were binding him to the wall begin to move. They pulled Junior out of the wall, and lowered him down to Contemno's level._

 _"After all, he still has a son to care for."_

"That guy…as if killing Kammy wasn't already bad enough, he came after me next."

"You were afraid to die?" Merlon probed.

"Yeah, of course I was. But…there was something even worse than that. Something else about him that _really_ made me afraid…"

 _"That's right. I know all about_ _ **you**_ _, Prince Bowser Jr.," Contemno confirmed. The mage brushed his finger underneath Junior's chin in the very same fashion he savored killing Kammy._

 _Junior began to sweat as his heart raced and his breaths grew shallow. The Koopa Prince gritted his teeth and tried earnestly to hide his immense fear from the soulless black abyss that made up Contemno's eyes. But now that Contemno was close enough to be in physical contact with him, Junior was positive that any slight movement from the mage would be enough to make him wet himself at the very least._

 _"How about it then?" Contemno provoked. "Care to demonstrate just how far the apple truly falls from the tree?"_

 _"Consider this a sporting chance, my boy," Contemno elaborated. "An opportunity to avenge your beloved teacher, defend your subjects, and perhaps most important of all…"_

 _"A moment of glory to show Daddy that you aren't such a_ _ **failure**_ _after all."_

"Contemno already knew who I was. He knew everything about me, while I know nothing about him. I never even saw his real face."

"I see. So you are afraid of Contemno," Merlon surmised.

"Exactly. I tried fighting him once already, but there wasn't anything I could do. I froze up…"

 _"Do you honestly hope to defeat me simply by cowering in fear!?"_

 _"COWARD!" Contemno roared. "I WILL UTTERLY ERADICATE YOU ONCE I SHATTER THIS CURSED SHELL OF YOUR'S!" He continued to slam Junior's shell into the wall._

"I know I'm gonna have to fight him again. There's no other way around it. I have to beat him to take back my castle and avenge Kammy. Everyone's counting on me to do it. But the truth is…I just don't know how to beat someone who already knows everything about me. I don't actually know if I can win…"

"Your fear is justified, Prince Junior," said Merlon. "But you must not blame yourself for being afraid. Contemno poses an unprecedented threat. He possesses a dangerous power unlike anything the world has ever seen. I had visions of the danger he would pose to us all in the time leading up to his introduction. In those visions, I saw that even Mario would fail to stop Contemno by himself."

"Really?" Merlon nodded.

"You are not alone in fearing his power, and fear is a natural response to something not immediately understood," he explained. "You see, fear that dwells in the heart of mankind is derived from a deeper feeling of doubt or uncertainty. In the wake of a seemingly monumental change, we are afraid of that change when we lack knowledge or understanding of it. When change arrives before us and we do not fully understand the impact it will have on our lives, it is our first natural instinct to deny it or run away and cling on to what is familiar."

"So what can I do then? How do I accept this hurt? How do I stop being afraid?"

"Here is my wisdom that I will offer to you. You believe that courage is the opposite of fear, yes?" Junior nodded. "Man's initial perception of courage is that fear must be absent in order for it to exist. In other words, you are courageous when you are not afraid. However, this is merely an illusion." The Koopa Prince knitted his eyebrows.

"It is?"

"Yes. In reality, fear never truly vanishes. Instead, it co-exists with courage in harmony. To possess true courage is to act in _spite_ of fear. You are courageous when you choose to act despite being afraid." Junior gulped.

"So what you're saying is…I just have to make myself fight Contemno anyway…even though I'm afraid."

"Indeed. In order to find your courage and to awaken this hurt as well, you must find the source of your fear; you must determine why you are afraid of Contemno. What consequences do you believe exist if you choose to fight him?"

"Well, I could die obviously!"

"Is that all?" Merlon asked. Junior was deeply unsettled by how quickly this response came.

"Well…I mean…he could kill other people too; the people I love and probably ruin the world I live in."

"So you are afraid Contemno will erase your existence and your entire world around you will disappear."

"You say that like it's no big deal!"

"I did not say it wasn't. But perhaps you realize now why you must fight. Surely you see what you are fighting for, and what you will lose if you choose to avoid Contemno."

"If I run…I won't protect my home or my family. Everything will…disappear…," said Junior.

"Precisely. To accept the hurt that is fear, you must recognize what you will lose if you do not act in spite of your fear. Is it worth it to sacrifice these things for the sake of your own immediate safety?"

"Of course not," Junior denied firmly as he shut his eyes.

"Concentrate, young one," Merlon prompted. "Visualize the fear as a tangible item in your hand." Junior's fingers each took turns twitching as he held his palm open wide. "Now hold this fear tightly in your hand and do not let go." The Koopa Prince's hand slowly closed into a fist. "Your fear is an amalgamation of all that is precious to you; all that is worth protecting; it all becomes the singular reason you must act. Hold this feeling tightly as you run towards the uncertainty and never let it go." Junior exhaled as steam emanated from his nose. "Transform your fear into power; the power of action." Junior lifted his fist up to his face. "When your moment of truth arrives, you _will_ act." Junior's eyes cracked open.

"I will." 

* * *

Iggy ran, hopped, and hid all around the warehouse as he desperately tried to elude Wendy's rings. His luck was bound to run out sooner or later, and he was getting nowhere in terms of getting that door open so his group could escape.

 _I don't have any magic to challenge her with_..., the Koopaling thought. He rolled out of the way of an incoming ring. A loud "ping" sound flooded the room as it bounced off the metal table.

 _Uggh c'mon, brain! Think! What did Wendy say her rings were weak to again!?_ Iggy racked his brain as he ran and tried desperately to get some space to think. But Wendy wouldn't allow it. She chased after him mercilessly. In her current state, she was probably prepared to chase Iggy to the ends of the earth until she caught him.

 _Well, if she's using her power against_ _ **me**_ _, surely that means it could capture anyone…including herself!_ Iggy deducted. He hopped over a metal table and lifted it with all his strength. He tipped the structure over with the surface facing away from him; forming a barrier. The tools and pieces that had been scattered on it spilled out onto the floor in a mess of small echoing clatters and clanks.

Wendy jumped high into the air and threw her gold ring once more. Iggy ducked down behind the table. The ring changed its altitude slightly in an attempt to zero in on its target. It clashed with the table and was immediately repelled back at Wendy with twice the velocity. She was too slow to react. The ring made contact and encapsulated Wendy within; the female Koopaling's arms were bound tightly to her sides as she fell helplessly back down to earth.

Iggy jumped out from behind the table and caught Wendy just before she could hit the hard, unforgiving cement floor. She wriggled and jerked violently, but could not break free from her own trap. Iggy set her down as carefully as he could in spite of her struggling.

"Sorry, sis…," he spoke gently. "But it's for your own good." With not a moment more to waste, Iggy took off for the door once again.

Larry shot down each of the balls Lemmy threw his way. One after another, each ball popped loudly like a balloon and left no trace of its existence. Somehow, this didn't seem to slow Lemmy down one bit as he continuously summoned more ammo infinitely. Larry gripped his pistol tightly and charged forward. He jumped just as a ball reached him, landed on top, and bounced off of it to increase his speed as he flipped forward and flew through the air.

The Koopaling landed directly in front of Lemmy. The latter was too slow to react in time.

"This'll hurt me more than you!" Larry exclaimed. He delivered an uppercut to his sibling's chin and sent him tumbling onto the floor. Given his small, weak physique, this single blow was all it took to knock him out cold. At a distance, Lemmy was practically untouchable. But if someone managed to get up close – as Larry had just done – he was a goner.

Grappling internally with sizable remorse over his action, Larry sprinted away to help his comrades.

Peach gripped her new weapon and twirled it so fast that Eris didn't catch a good look at what it was. It didn't matter. It shouldn't. Eris formed another pair of black bubbles in her hands and threw them consecutively at Peach. The princess thrust her new weapon forward. It didn't look like much at first glance; just a rather simplistic white staff of some kind curled into a heart shape at one end. As the bubbles drew near, the weapon's true nature was revealed.

A large circular pink panel sprung out and stopped the bubbles mid-flight.

"…A parasol? Seriously?" Eris commented as a sharp, sarcastic breath emerged from her lips.

"If you thought I was just a one-trick pony, you're sadly mistaken," said Peach. The pink cover retreated back into the stick and Peach twirled it. "Come a little closer and I'll show you."

"You really think you can beat me with _that_?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be holding it right now. So how long are you gonna make me wait?" To Peach's surprise, Eris chuckled and smiled at this, instead of getting angry.

"I like this side of you, princess. You're nothing like Contemno described. But now I'm dying to know something. How did that clown Bowser ever get away with kidnapping you all the time if you're this feisty?"

"I wasn't always like this," Peach answered. "But Bowser was never _that_ much of a danger, if I'm being honest."

"I'll say," Eris agreed as she rolled her eyes.

What was this? Were they really having an honest conversation just now? This made Peach feel incredibly uneasy. She couldn't let it last or she might risk letting her guard down. Peach gripped the parasol and jumped towards Eris. The latter deflected the stick with another bubble.

"Even so, if you think acting tough will faze me, then _you're_ the one who's mistaken," said Eris as she moved in closer for the kill. This time, the black aura encompassed the woman's entire arm and resembled a large, menacing falchion blade.

Peach countered the swing with her staff. The two combatants pushed into one another with all their might; refusing to budge even an inch. Just when Eris was confident she had Peach trapped, the pink panel of the umbrella flipped open again with enough force to push Eris back with a mild stagger. Peach twirled around and slugged Eris with the open parasol with all her remaining strength. Eris's eyes widened as she was engulfed by the full power of the attack.

It was far greater than she could've feared.

The woman was sent hurdling into the air; flying several feet away and landing in one of the piles of mechanical junk on the opposite end of the garage. Not skipping a beat, Peach dismissed the parasol and ran towards the exit to regroup with the others. 

* * *

"At last, we have arrived at the final gateway to clarity," said Merlon. Junior wiped the sweat away from his brow as a small sigh of relief escaped his snout. "However, I must tell you that this gateway will be different from the other four that came before it."

"Different how?" Junior asked.

"The last remaining gateway inside of you is distorted; unclear. I cannot tell what form of hurt this gateway was born from, if any."

"What gateway is it?"

"It is the gateway of foresight," Merlon answered. "Truth be told, my knowledge of this gateway is limited. I have encountered few individuals in my life who have possessed this phenomenon inside of themselves. It is quite rare actually."

"Well, what is it made of? Where does it come from?" Junior probed, growing impatient with Merlon's vague responses.

"Magic users have often described the gateway of foresight as a gift, rather than a curse or hindrance. It means you have made contact with a higher force." Junior's eyebrows rose slightly at this.

"Really?" Merlon nodded.

"You have received a gift, so to speak. A strange, yet special power sleeps within you. Its purpose will reveal itself in the future, provided you take the necessary action."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"This power makes contact with you mentally when your mind is the most available to receive it. Tell me, have experienced any sort of strange dreams or visions lately?" Junior's eyes lit up at this.

"Yeah!" the Koopa Prince confirmed as he nodded furiously. "I've been having a _ton_ of weird dreams lately! It always happens when I'm asleep or…even just knocked out!"

"What do you see in these dreams?" Merlon inquired.

"I see…my parents. My dad looks and acts different in them. My mom is there too. Oh, and I've seen myself in these dreams! But when I'm there, I look like a little kid again."

"Age regression…interesting. Have either of your parents spoken to you in these dreams?"

"Yeah, they treat me like a kid. But it's weird because I don't… _feel_ like a kid in these dreams."

"Go on."

"It's like, I _look_ like I should only be about a few years old. But I have all of my memory from after that time. I remember everything up until right before I fell asleep. Does that make sense?"

"It is certainly out of the ordinary. You retain your current memories and growth, in spite of the fact that your body has regressed to an earlier stage. What have your parents told you in your visions?" Junior racked his brain as he tried to remember.

"They keep talking about sleep. They've said I'm sleeping too much; almost like it's some kind of sickness or something."

"When did you first start experiencing these dreams?"

"Let's see…I think it happened the night before my exam. What does any of this mean?" A troubling pause.

"That I cannot answer," Merlon confessed. "It is possible all of the immense stress you have faced recently simply gave birth to the other forms of hurt we discussed previously. In turn, all of the hurt itself has forced you to produce these dreams on your own."

"Is that really possible?" Merlon nodded.

"You will need to gather as much information about these dreams as you can. Then, you will need to devise a method of observing the behaviors of your body and mind when these dreams occur. But you will need to develop a full understanding of what causes them first."

"Are you gonna help me do that?" Junior asked, slightly worried.

"There is little I can do for you at the moment. I can provide resources to you, but you must determine what must be done for yourself."

"But what about the gateway itself? How am I supposed to open it without understanding what these visions mean?" Merlon chuckled.

"My boy, you should know the process by now. After all, you've just done it four times." Junior's eyebrows hunched over as his eyes rapidly searched the space around him for guidance.

"You mean…"

"I have guided you through the process of opening the previous four gateways. If you can guide yourself this time, then you will be ready to complete your training in the Realm of Refuge." This sparked an urgent energy in Junior. He was motivated; he was ready. He gave Merlon a stern nod and focused.

"Alright, here goes. First, I have to awaken the hurt. Even though it…might not be hurt at all, it's still… _something_ ; something important," Junior guessed. He put his hands on his chest and felt his very life force. "There's a…power inside me. I may not know where it came from, but it's important. I'm sure of it. I'll need this power for my journey. I see it. I know it's there."

"Go on."

"To accept this power in the same way I accept hurt, I think I need to…commit myself to it; and learn all that I can from it. I have to connect to it on a deeper level than I have up until now. These dreams I'm having, I need to learn what they mean. In order to do that, I have to figure out where they came from."

"Yes, good. Keep going, Prince Junior."

The Koopa Prince's mind raced. He was headed somewhere, but he didn't know where. Not yet. Would he figure it out before he got there? What if he didn't? Would it matter? His words were coming out faster than he could think. He had no choice but to roll with it.

"But…how do I do that? I mean, where do I start? C'mon, Merlon. You gotta give me _something_ to work with here."

"Think back to when you first experienced the dream. What happened?"

"I remember getting these weird, crippling headaches during my test. Something was wrong with me."

"It wasn't your nerves?" Junior shook his head.

"No, it couldn't have been. I didn't choke. I knew that routine. I had it down pat. I did it perfectly the day before. Ludwig and Kammy even said so themselves."

"Try to find something out of the ordinary. What might've happened the night before which caused you to fail the exam in the way you ultimately did?" Electricity surged through Junior's body as an idea struck him.

"The tea…"

"Come again?"

"The double cherry tea that Ludwig gave me! It tasted awful, but he said he drinks it to…focus his powers!"

"Do you believe ingesting this tea is what caused you to fail your exam?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe there was something in it that messed me up. But…"

"But what?"

"Ludwig said he drinks it all the time. I don't see why he would if this happened to him too."

"Did he warn you of any side effects?" Junior shook his head.

"What if he doesn't get them, but _I_ did somehow? Maybe I just had some kind of allergic reaction to it," he surmised with a shrug.

"It is possible. Are you willing to accept this theory as truth?"

"Well…no. I mean…yes! I mean, uggghh I don't know! I don't know what to think!"

"You do not need to have all of the answers right now, Prince Junior. Remember what is important. What is the third step in opening a gateway?"

"Right, right. It's release. I need to decide how this will be useful to me in the future."

"What does that look like right now?"

"It's gotta be the tea; something to do with it. I need to find Ludwig and ask him about it. _That's_ where I'll start getting some real answers to all of this." He jolted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When did Merlon get so close to him?

"Congratulations, Prince Junior. You have opened all five gateways to clarity. Now you are ready for magic training." The Koopa Prince smiled, but a loud gurgling noise sullied the moment. Junior placed a hand to his stomach and blushed.

"Uhh...maybe we could get something to eat first?" he suggested with a chuckled. Merlon laughed as well.

"Indeed. I believe a small recess is in order." 

* * *

Roy could feel himself slowing down. His burns were starting to eat away at his willpower. Continuing the fight against Morton felt more and more impossible as the seconds dragged on. Yet even so, Roy continued to fight. He blocked and returned each of Morton's attacks. The latter was relentless. There was no sense of remorse or humanity in those crimson eyes; only primal bloodlust. Morton wanted Roy dead and seemed prepared to do whatever it took to make that happen.

Roy stumbled out of the flaming mallet's path and limped clumsily behind Morton. He grabbed his brother by the rim of the monster's shell and thrust him straight into the wall with tremendous rage.

Roy pinned Morton against the wall and made the beast face its reflection in the Koopaling's sunglasses.

"Stop this, Mort! Stop it!" Roy exclaimed between hoarse breaths as he gritted his teeth. Morton struggled and pushed aggressively as he gradually loosened Roy's hold over him. Roy was losing the will to go on. They both knew it. Once Morton broke free and delivered the next attack, Roy would be done for. This was inevitable.

A blood-curdling roar escaped from the pit of Morton's lungs. He shoved Roy back several feet, then wasted pounced to seal the kill. At the last second, Peach jumped into Morton's path and swatted him away with her parasol. Morton rolled across the floor, then immediately climbed to his feet. Gripping his mallet, Morton now set his sights on Peach. As he brought his flaming hammer down, Larry was there to meet it with his shield in tow. Morton pounded away furiously, but Larry held his ground.

Meanwhile, Peach and Iggy hurried over to Roy's side.

"Roy! Can you hear us!?" Peach asked in a panic.

"C'mon, Roy! Wake up! Come back to us, bro!" Iggy ordered as he shook his brother's forearms. A small breath emerged from the Koopaling's mouth, and he flickered back into consciousness. The pair helped him sit up.

"Iggs…?" Roy whispered.

"On your feet, big guy. We gotta get moving," said Iggy. He and Peach lifted Roy up by his arms and wrapped each one over their shoulders; dragging him back towards the entrance.

"Did you get the door open?" Peach asked Iggy.

"Well…no. But…" she shot him a horrified look, but Roy spoke up before she could scold him.

"Leave that to me. I got a trick that'll get us through. Just get me to the door."

Larry shoved his shield up with all his might; putting his entire body into the motion. It was enough force to shove Morton back into the shelving unit against the wall behind him. A series of mismatched tools, boxes, and scraps of metal all rained down on top of him. Larry waited a moment for Morton to pop out of the pile. When he didn't, the Koopaling was confident his brother was knocked out, at least for the moment. His shield disappeared and he sprinted back to join the others.

When they reached the closed door, Roy was able to stand on his own as he faced the exit, though his body swayed with fatigue ever so slightly. The Koopaling put his hands together and breathed through his nostrils.

"Watch my shell!" Roy ordered. As if on cue, Eris came racing towards them from across the room. A black bubble materialized in her hand. With a desperate, angry expression plastered across her face, the woman chucked the bubble at them. Peach was about to act, but Larry stopped her with one hand and stepped forward. He raised his pistol and fired a single light bullet. It pierced through the bubble effortlessly, but the resulting explosion was bigger than any of them anticipated. Eris was sent tumbling backwards again, as were Larry, Peach and Iggy.

Roy reached above his head, and caught the large silhouette of light that was born in the air above him. He propped the item up using his bicep and shoulder; grinning slightly. The rest of the group sat up to witness Roy's development.

Resting on the Koopaling's shoulder was a large Bullet Bill Blaster with twin muzzles on each end. But there was something unique about this one. The skull design that was typically found on the cannon's barrel was instead replaced with a fuscia logo of Roy's face; iconic shades and all. Larry smiled at the sight of this. It was undoubtedly Roy's new weapon summon. The very same kind of spiritual magic Merlon had taught _him_ with his new pistol.

Roy crouched down onto one knee, placed his free hand on the edge of the barrel protruding out in front of him, and took aim at the door.

"Stand back!" Roy exclaimed. Peach, Larry and Iggy each crouched over and covered the heads. Had Roy not warned them ahead of time, they would've been absolutely floored by the thunderous boom that sounded as sudden Bullet Bill that rocketed out of the cannon with no build-up or fanfare whatsoever. The Bullet Bill rocketed towards the metallic barrier and vanished when it made contact in an explosive mix of fire, smoke, and sound which engulfed the garage. When the smoke subsided, it was revealed that a large hole and been blown clean through the door.

"C'mon, let's move!" Roy exclaimed as Peach, Iggy, and Larry each picked themselves up. Without wasting a second more, the group hurdled through the hole.

The group raced down the narrow hallway; gasping for air and running as fast as their legs could carry them. Their minds ran even faster as they panicked and pondered where to go. Yet, somehow that hardly mattered. They just needed to get some distance from their enemies; as much as possible. The best option at the moment seemed to be hiding until they were certain they weren't being followed.

Lost in the rush, Larry hardly noticed when he was yanked into one of the rooms nearby. Before he could process what had just happened, he saw Roy standing in front of him; slightly obscured by the shadows of the light-less room. The Koopaling placed a claw to his lips and gestured for Larry to remain silent. Larry complied and watched as Roy carefully extended his head back out into the hallway slightly. He retreated again seconds before a stampede of footsteps could be heard booming down the hall.

When the noise subsided, Roy checked outside the room once more, then motioned that the coast was clear. Iggy lit the torch on the wall nearby and brought a dim light into the room, which turned out to be a storage closet.

"Okay, that was _way_ too close," said Larry. "Let's get out of here while we still can." Iggy shook his head.

"No, we can't leave yet."

"C'mon, Iggy. This is suicide," Roy argued. "They've got three of our own family turned against us, and that blondie herself is nothing to sneeze at either. Larry's right. We should get out of here and come back when we're more prepared."

"What other preparations could we possibly make at this point?" Peach countered.

"Well, there's getting Junior for starters. At least then we'd have the advantage in numbers…," said Larry. Once again, Iggy visibly dismissed the idea.

"No, it's too late to back out now. We need to find the master key. Without it, we can't use the ship," the Koopaling explained. "I admit I got a bit carried away with testing the engine, and that's what got us discovered. That was my fault. But it can't be helped. If we leave now, we might never get another chance at getting that ship to fly. Right now, we should consider that our only means of escape from this place at all."

"I agree with Iggy," said Peach. "Let's find the master key and use the airship to escape now. The castle's big enough for us to find the key and escape without getting caught again, provided that we stay quiet. If we can pull this off before Eris and the others find us, we can circle back around and pick Junior up on the way to Sarasaland." Roy grimaced when his burned arm brushed against the wall. He scowled at them; clearly dissatisfied with the proposal to risk their necks even more by staying here even a second longer. He shook his head.

"I _still_ think this is a bad idea. But, I guess splitting up would be even worse...Fine. Let's do this. But let's be _quiet_ , and do this _fast_."

"You at least know where the key is, right?" Larry asked.

"I've got an idea. We'll need to investigate Bowser's living quarters up on the fourth floor," Iggy explained. Roy and Larry exchanged confused faces.

"Uhhh…what?" Roy started. Iggy was already halfway out the door.

"Just follow me. I'll explain on the way." 

* * *

Eris strolled down the umpteenth empty corridor of this stupidly large castle. How anyone could find _anything_ in this maze – even if they'd lived here their entire life - was beyond her. She glanced around nonchalantly and casually peaked inside a handful of rooms scattered all about, but her heart wasn't in the search. She was too preoccupied.

 _Dammit_! Eris thought with a sharp sigh. _This isn't good. If Contemno finds out those rats are running loose here in the castle, he'll blow a gasket. I just hope he accomplished whatever he set out to do. The last thing he needs to come back to right now is bad news._

She stopped and stared at the haggard expression on her face that was reflected back at her in the mirror on the wall. She could practically feel the stress dripping from her pores and her hair growing gray at the thought of what might happen if she didn't find and catch the intruders. She stopped this line of thought in its tracks. Eris knew she had to focus. Worrying never helped anyone; especially not her. She had to be strong; she had to stay focused. That's what Contemno admired about her most after all.

 _I just wish I knew what they were after. I mean, why here? Why now? And why isn't the bratty prince with them? What the devil could they be planning!?_ She clenched her fists. _It has to be something with that busted old airship they were messing around with. Were they trying to use it to get somewhere?_

Eris dismissed the idea. After all, where could they possibly go? Nowhere was safe. Contemno had already made certain of that. All of the kingdoms were at his mercy. Well… _most_ of them anyway. If Junior and his tiny pack of misfits were looking to run away and go into hiding permanently, they were out of luck. There was nowhere in the world they could possibly run to now where Contemno and his followers couldn't find them.

Even so, letting them run loose like this was irritating at best. Contemno was sure to sleep better at night if these pests were dealt with. They all would. She had to strike now while they were still within range. Eris clutched her resolve. If she and Contemno were to have the future they'd already fought so hard to get, she had to find out what was going on.

She put her brain to work. Catching them was the best case scenario, and this castle was so immensely large with dozens of tiny rooms everywhere that trapping them somewhere shouldn't be too difficult. But then again, those fools had gotten lucky so far. It was for that reason alone that Eris knew she had to be prepared for the worst. If they _did_ manage to slip away again, she had to make sure she at least knew where they were going. That meant she would need to make them spill the beans beforehand. But how? If they had any brains, they'd surely keep quiet. Eris had to come up with some way to get them to talk.

 _Maybe I should negotiate for information. That's all they can offer us at this point. Well, that or eternal slavery if we get that far_ , Eris thought. _But to get the ball rolling, I'll need to offer something they want. No, something they_ _ **need**_ _. But what?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small echo of footsteps coming from down the hall nearby. Eris didn't see anyone run by, but she knew where that corridor led – the staircase to the next floor up. The answer she sought might've been closer than it seemed.

* * *

Peach, Larry, Roy and Iggy reached Bowser's living quarters at the end of the hall and stopped outside the tall, green double doors. Larry started to say something, but stopped. His stiff, stagnant body language said it all.

"Something up, Larry?" Roy asked.

"If King Bowser knew we were doing this, he'd kill us…," Larry confessed.

"If King Bowser were here, we wouldn't _have_ to do this without his permission," Iggy reminded as he stepped forward and gently twisted the knob. They were lucky it was even unlocked in the first place. The group filed in behind him and slowly shut the door.

Peach was unsettled, albeit somewhat impressed by the atmosphere in Bowser's room. There was dim mood lighting projected from thin candles mounted all across the walls. The ruby red wallpaper contrasted the jet black marble floor. The air was warm as if Bowser had just been here, though they all knew that was impossible. The odor of the room had been devoured by a potent, dominating cologne of some kind. Bowser wasn't too keen on keeping up with hygiene until Peach took him in. Now, it wasn't weird in the slightest for the Koopalings to discover that their master's bedroom permanently smelled like he was getting ready for a date. The cologne itself didn't smell terrible. But there was simply too much of it lingering in the air to the point where Peach felt slightly nauseous from being exposed to so much of it at once.

For a self-righteous king, Bowser's room was surprisingly minimalistic when it came to décor. There wasn't much furniture to speak of aside from his massive bed, a sprawling, red area rug in the center, and a green leather chair with a matching ottoman off to the side. An absurdly large portrait of the Koopa King himself hung on the wall above the bed and loomed over the group menacingly; silently judging them.

The group dispersed in search of the master key. Peach ventured into the walk-in closet, but was weary of what she might find within. Larry inspected the bathroom, Roy searched all angles of the bed, and Iggy rummaged through the drawers of the nightstand and dresser.

In his closet, Bowser didn't have much clothing aside from a handful of more formal outfits, which he had been required to wear to the Kingdom Council meetings on a weekly basis. Although, Peach grimaced when she spotted the white suit, matching top hat, silver spiked arm bands, purple vest and bow tie, and large white and silver dress shoes. She wondered if Bowser had ever worn this gaudy suit again after the whole planned wedding fiasco. Most likely, he never had a reason to. She also couldn't help but wonder what Bowser had worn on his actual wedding day with his real wife. He most likely wouldn't have kept an outfit like that around to haunt him forever.

Larry didn't have the slightest clue what to look for in the bathroom, but Iggy insisted they had to search everywhere. Still, all he found were some towels on the shelf and a few hygiene products near the sink. If Bowser were to hide some key in here, where would it possibly be? The Koopaling imagined finding a super-secret lever in the cabinet under the sink that would open some kind of secret passageway behind the shower; leading to a small room filled with all sorts of hidden treasures. Alas, no such trick seemed to exist. This was as ordinary of a bathroom as any other.

Roy wrestled with the blankets and sheets, shook each pillow thoroughly, and eventually ended up flat on his belly to fish around with his hand under the bed as far as he could reach before his shell hit the mattress and stopped him from advancing any further. Nothing. No hint of this mythical key anywhere. Even lifting the mattress and inspecting its underside revealed that if this key was supposed to be hidden here, it wasn't now.

"Well, what now, Iggy?" he asked, annoyed. "Your little key ain't here." Iggy finished searching around in the final drawer and sighed. Larry and Peach joined them as well; each wearing looks that didn't inspire confidence.

"Dammit, I was _sure_ it would be here…," Iggy cursed. "Well, there's one other place we can check. Let's head down to the royal archives."

"And what if it's not there either?" Roy challenged. "What're we supposed to do then?"

"We'll think of something if it gets to that point." Roy stepped in front of Iggy and blocked the exit with his massive body.

"No. Uh-uh. You can do better than that," said Roy. "C'mon, Iggs. You're the smart one. What're we supposed to do if we can't find this stupid key? I'm not moving 'til you give me a real-"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Iggy exclaimed before he sunk to the floor and hugged his legs. "I don't…know, okay? I have no _idea_ what we should do. I didn't expect that this mission would go so wrong." Peach placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"None of us did," said Peach. "But then again, we didn't know what to expect here at all. Let's try the archives first, and if we still can't find the key, we'll get out of here and head back to Merlon's."

"Yeah, Peach's right," Larry agreed. "Don't sweat it, Iggy. We'll find another way to get to Sarasaland if we have to." The sheer disappointment in himself was still very much present in Iggy's moist eyes, but he composed himself and stood up; rubbing his eyes with his arm. Roy sighed, shook his head, and stepped aside as he opened the door.

Out in the hall, Eris hurried around the corner just as Iggy and the others exited the bedroom.

 _A key huh_? _I can work with that_ , she muttered to herself. A malicious smile curled across her face. She knew exactly what needed to be done now. The woman jogged down the staircase. She had to work fast if this was ever going to work.


	26. The Crimson Flood

**Author's Note:**

 _First things first, I'm so sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. No, I'm not dead and no, the story is not canceled. It's far from over. Much like the rest of the world, I've been facing significant changes in my personal life lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Don't worry, I'm not sick or anything like that. But I've had so many changes to adjust to that finding time to sit down and work on writing Son of Bowser has been challenging to say the least._

 _When I did find time to write, I soon discovered that it was difficult for me to find a good stopping point. I was never satisfied with ending this chapter off at any specific moment for some reason. So, because this is pretty much the finale of this little "arc," I decided to cram in as much content as I could. This chapter will probably stand as one of the longest in the story overall. I hope the length sort of makes up for how long you all have had to wait. Thank you so much for your patience. That being said, I don't plan on making every chapter this long going forward. The next one in particular will definitely be shorter, so hopefully you won't have to wait as long for it._

 _Again, I sincerely thank all of you for your patience in waiting for this update. I can't promise there won't be any more hiatuses in the future. But rest assured that I haven't lost any passion for writing this story. In fact, I've already got most of the ending bits in my head. The challenge is just finding the time to get my ideas down on paper and clean them up so it's enjoyable to read. I have no plans on canceling Son of Bowser anytime soon. But if that day ever comes, I WILL make an announcement. I won't just leave you guys in the dark forever about whether or not this story is continuing. If I've gone quiet, it probably just means I'm still hard at work on making the next chapter as good as it can be. No news is good news!_

 _With all that being said, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for your continued support!_

* * *

 **RECAP:**

 **Continuing his training under Merlon, Junior was able to open the final two gateways to clarity: the gateway of fear and the gateway of insight. At last, he was ready to begin his magic training and then join the others in their quest to commandeer the airship at Bowser's castle.**

 **Meanwhile, Larry, Roy, Iggy and Peach found themselves locked in fierce combat with Lemmy, Morton, Wendy and Eris. Using their new techniques they learned from studying under Merlon, the four were able to keep their foes at bay and escape from the garage to regroup. It was decided that finding the master key was of the utmost importance, so they quietly hurried off to Bowser's living quarters to begin their search.**

 **Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as the master key was nowhere to be found in Bowser's room. That left only one place left to search: the royal archives. Unbeknownst to them, Eris overheard their plans and set off to make preparations of her own.**

* * *

It soon became apparent that reaching the royal archives would be easier said than done. The once familiar halls of the castle the Koopalings previously called home had now become treacherous enemy territory as Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy patrolled tirelessly in search of their targets. It would take quick, expert thinking and flawless, silent moving to get the group past them without getting into another fight. Yet, Iggy was up for the task. For the time being, their careful execution was paying off. By ducking under and behind furniture when available, sticking close to the shadows, and muffling the sound of their footsteps with the floor rugs, Larry, Roy, Iggy and Peach navigated the castle without getting detected.

Yet Larry's heart ached as he stealthily maneuvered around the "enemy." These weren't actually enemies. They were his family. He couldn't stand to see three of his siblings being controlled this way. As he crept quietly through the blind spot in Morton's vision, it took everything he had not to run up to his big brother and give him a hug. He couldn't stand to watch them suffer like this. He had to find a way to save them. There just _had_ to be a way. But still, he knew this would have to wait. He'd have to come back for them later. All Larry could do for the time being was hope that Lemmy, Morton, and Wendy stayed alive until he could return to free them from this enslavement.

Utterly exhausted, the group reached the minuscule entrance to the royal archives and squeezed inside the room single-file.

For carrying such a prestigious title as "royal," the archive room hardly looked the part. In fact, it was little more than a cluttered, dusty mess. Boxes and chests were scattered all about haphazardly. But since the room itself was so tiny, all of its contents were forced to scrunch together into a collective, disorganized hoard. There was barely enough room for Peach or the boys to stand anywhere without stepping on someone's toes.

A perfectly planned, well-organized, and expertly executed search of Iggy's intellectual design was sure to be the most efficient way of finding the master key in this mess. Unfortunately, the group didn't have the energy, space or time to come up with anything like that. Without so much as a syllable of communication, they began to shuffle around and dig aimlessly in the mess. At first, Peach had cautioned her companions to not make so much noise while searching as this was sure to get them discovered again. But after the third or fourth attempt on her part to remind them, she too abandoned her effort and searched without any regard for her own volume. Caution would have to fall by the wayside in favor of speed.

Roy shifted a box of junk aside when something caught his attention. It was a mild thump followed by a muffled hum. He thought he was hearing things, until it happened again, and again. Suddenly there was an interval between thumps and hums. It was consistent, and annoying at that. Roy turned around and immediately spotted the source. It was a wooden chest that shook and jerked around. There was something alive inside.

"Guys, over here!" Roy called out as he summoned the others.

"Did you find the key?" Larry asked.

"No, but check this out." Lucky for them, the chest wasn't locked. After Roy lifted the twin hasps, the lid of the trunk flew wide open in the blink of an eye. A blur of motion shot out from inside.

"I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!" a voice screamed. "I'M FREE! I'M FREE! I'M FREE! OH THANK THE STARS ABOVE I'M ACTUALLY FREE!" The noisy creature fell to the ground just as quickly as it had emerged from the chest and landed directly on top of Roy. The rest of the group examined the former prisoner for a moment before speaking.

It was a rather ordinary looking Paratroopa, but with lime green shoes. The only distinguishing feature about this one in particular which set him apart from his hundreds of identical brethren aside from his off-colored shoes was the red plastic pail atop his head. Peach had assumed this was just a random accessory from the chest that had accidentally accompanied him on his way out. But it soon became apparent that this item was actually quite important to the Paratroopa when the latter hastily adjusted it on his head; the thin handle resting on his nose just below his eyes.

"Oh you gotta be kiddin' me!" Roy exclaimed angrily. "Not _this_ loser!"

"Any chance we can shove him back in there?" Larry added as his eye lids narrowed. Peach was shocked to hear them talking so cruelly about one of their own. Even Iggy seemed annoyed as the Koopaling shoved his glasses up and rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"N-NO! Please! Not again!" the Paratroopa stammered as Roy plucked him up by his shell with one hand.

"Now wait just a moment!" Peach interjected. "Who is he?"

"Trust me, princess. This goon's no one special," Roy answered rather vaguely. The pail gave off a faint rattling sound as the Paratroopa shivered nervously. His eyes were wide with an abstract mixture of fear, sadness and pure anxiety. He looked rather pathetic and helpless, but Peach sympathized with him. Iggy took notice of this and volunteered an explanation of his own with a reluctant sigh.

"This is Corporal Paraplonk, Peach," Iggy started. "Don't let his title fool you though. He's part of a trio of pitifully low-level minions; we're talking _really_ low, even for King Bowser's army standards. In fact, I'd wager they got their military credentials from the back of a cereal box." Paraplonk was still so shaken up that he didn't react to the insults being hurled about him in the slightest.

"Even so, he's still a Koopa, isn't he? Sure, he might lack ability on his own, but that's still no reason to treat one of your own kind so poorly," Peach criticized.

"His lack of ability isn't what he and his group are infamous for," Iggy corrected. "Do you remember the Blorbs outbreak that happened in the Mushroom Kingdom a while back?"

"Of course," said Peach with a nod.

"Then you'll also recall that during that time, Fawful was wreaking havoc all across the land. But instead of helping King Bowser or even defending the throne in his absence as any loyal minion would do, these jokers had the gull to actually switch sides and _betray_ King Bowser to save their own skins as they shoved him into a safe when his back was turned. Suffice it to say, when the crisis was resolved, they were blacklisted and became infamous in the Koopa Kingdom for their utter lack of loyalty to the throne."

"B-but that was so long ago, Iggy! We've changed! Honest!" said Paraplonk.

"You expect us to believe that?" asked Larry incredulously as he folded his arms.

"Of c-course! When the scary man in the mask and lady in the dress came here, my partners and I tried to defend the throne in the absence of both King Bowser _and_ Prince Junior!"

"'Defend,' huh? Was this _before_ you hid in that chest like a coward?" Iggy probed.

"No! Not at all! The evil lady stuffed me in that chest and went about her business. Why, I don't even know what happened to Private Goomp or Sergeant Guy after that!" Though nobody noticed, Peach nodded her head slightly. That did sound like something Eris might do, given the impression Peach currently had of the woman's character.

"And it never occurred to you to try opening the chest since it wasn't locked?" asked Larry.

"Well I um…I mean…I was just…just…biding my time! Yeah, that's right! I figured I should stay low and wait until you guys showed up. Then I would know for sure that it was safe!" Paraplonk explained. The skeptical looks he was receiving from the Koopalings didn't suggest that they believed his story in the slightest. "You… _did_ come here to save us…right?"

"That's none of your business, pale-brain," said Roy.

"Aw c'mon, you guys! Lemme help! I know my pals and I did some bad stuff in the past, but this is different. We can help this time! You _need_ our help!"

"Oh? What makes you so sure about that?" Iggy asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"B-because…everyone else in the castle has been captured and turned into these mindless zombies. There's no one else you can trust."

"We don't need anyone else's help. We're managin' just fine on our own," Roy argued as he turned around and went back to searching. Larry and Iggy silently followed his lead, but Peach hesitated. She wasn't sure who to believe. Paraplonk looked at her with desperate, moist eyes and a quivering lip.

Peach had spent enough time around Bowser's henchmen as a prisoner in this castle to know what the Koopa Kingdom's denizens were like. On their own, the typical Goomba or Koopa Troopa were not very powerful; nor could any of them honestly be expected to exude much confidence or motivation. If they were supposed to be a collective military force, they lacked training, discipline, and mental fortitude at the very least. In fact, it was pretty normal for Bowser's troops to act cowardly. There was also the fact that Peach knew all too well just how selfish and cruel Junior and the Koopalings typically acted in general, no doubt as a result of their upbringing under Bowser. She simply couldn't arrive at any other conclusion than the idea that the Koopalings were dismissing Paraplonk too quickly this time.

"I think we should hear him out," the princess spoke aloud.

"If you really wanna listen to that yahoo, go ahead," said Roy, not even looking up from the box he was examining. "Just don't expect any of us to. You don't know him like we do, princess." Peach frowned, but accepted that she was alone in her stance. She turned back to Paraplonk and kneeled down to his level.

"What can you do to help us, Corporal Paraplonk?" she asked as warmly as she could. This helped put Paraplonk at ease, but only slightly it seemed.

"I…uhh….well…," the Paratroopa hesitated. He fell silent for a minute. But just when Peach was about to come to her own abrupt dismissal of him, what he said next surprised her. "I CAN TELL YOU WHERE THE MASTER KEY IS!" The Koopalings froze in their tracks and all turned to him slowly.

"What was that?" Larry asked.

"T-the key…that's…I mean, that's what you're looking for right?" Paraplonk asked.

"How could you possibly know that if you were locked in that chest until now?" Iggy countered.

"T-the scary lady…in the dress…she mentioned something about a key. She said it was important to make sure you guys never got your h-hands on it," Paraplonk explained. Roy punched the wall nearby.

"Dammit! You're saying she was eavesdropping on us!?" the Koopaling exclaimed. Paraplonk nodded quickly. "Uggh I was wondering why we never saw her on our way down here. She must've found us at some point but stayed away to get the upper hand!"

"But how could you have known what key Eris was referring to? The ships have never activated the protocol that requires the master key until now. I highly doubt that anyone in this castle even actually knows about the key's existence besides us, let alone traitors like _you_ ," said Iggy rather harshly.

"W-what are you saying?" Paraplonk replied.

"I'm saying, I don't see why we should trust you when you've already proven in the past that you can't be trusted, yet you somehow know all about the key that we're looking for, despite the fact that you _also_ claim you've been cooped up in a wooden chest here in the royal archives ever since Contemno and Eris first arrived at the castle. Your story makes absolutely no sense if you ask me."

"I…I only know about the key because of the scary lady, I swear!" Paraplonk defended.

"Does it really matter _how_ he knows about the key?" Peach offered. "In case you've all somehow forgotten, our backs are up against the wall right now. There's no other choice. We _need_ to secure the master key at all costs. If Corporal Paraplonk can offer us even the slightest lead on its whereabouts, I think we should take it. If nothing else, we need to start searching more efficiently. Rummaging around in here blindly is getting us nowhere, and we don't have much time to play around with."

"She's got a point…," Larry admitted. Paraplonk blushed and rubbed his neck, smiling sheepishly. He must've felt good to be praised for once, even if it was indirectly. Roy plucked him up by his shell once again.

"Alright, fine. If you're so clever, tell us where the master key is, runt."

"H-hold on a minute," Paraplonk objected. "F-first you gotta promise to do something for me."

"No we don't," Larry denied. "We don't owe you diddly squat."

"B-but that's what friends do for each other. They help each other out, r-right?"

"Whoever said we were friends with _you_?" Iggy objected. Peach shook her head, annoyed. She lightly smacked Roy's wrist; just enough to make him drop Paraplonk without actually hurting her comrade.

"Honestly, you boys are ridiculous!" she exclaimed. She knelt down again and smiled at Paraplonk. "Now then, Corporal Paraplonk. What do you need us to do?"

"F-follow me and help me recue my f-friends," he answered.

"Okay, and who are these friends of your's?"

"P-private Goomp and S-sergeant Guy, ma'am."

"We can find your stupid friends, but we don't need _you_ slowing us down," Roy objected. "Just tell us where the key is and where we'll find your pals, and we'll kill two birds with one stone."

"It would be easier if I just showed you. F-follow me," said Paraplonk. He flapped his wings and took off out into the hall in a hurry; leaving not even a second more for debate.

Peach approached the doorway, stopped and looked back at the Koopalings.

"Coming, boys?" she asked, though her tone made it sound more like a demand rather than a question. In spite of the visible disapproval shared in each of their expressions, Larry, Roy and Iggy followed her out the door.

* * *

Junior repeatedly tapped his claw on the wooden window sill as he stared longingly out the window. This was driving him nuts. He was itching with excitement to put his new abilities to the test, and he also couldn't help but worry about the others. They should've been back by now. Something was definitely wrong. The Koopa Prince sat up and hopped off the sofa in a hurry.

"Going somewhere?" Toad asked nonchalantly as he sipped his tea and flipped a page in his magazine without even glancing up from it.

"I've waited long enough. Let's go after them," said Junior.

" _You_ can go if you want to. I'm staying here," Toad objected calmly.

"What, you're not coming?"

"No way, Jose. I already saw for myself what that Contemno guy can do. No way am I crossing _him_ again."

"You don't want to help Peach?"

"Eh, she's been doing self-defense training for the last couple of years. She can take care of herself."

"Sheesh, isn't it your _job_ to protect the princess or something? Some bodyguard you turned out to be, ya lazy fungus!"

"Relax. Don't get your scales in a bunch. I'm sure they're on their way back right now anyway."

"Yeah well, I won't know that until I check it out myself," Junior declared as he approached the door.

"I figured you might say something like that," said Merlon as he descended the staircase. Junior quickly abandoned his exit and turned to face him.

"Merlon…," he started slowly as the fortune-teller approached him. His shoulders sunk with guilt. "I know you said I need to be patient and have faith in my bros and…I do. Really. It's just…I'm really worried about them. I need to know they're okay."

"I understand. Now that you've completed your training, I see no reason for you to remain here," said Merlon.

"You mean…"

"I trust your intuition. They might be in need of your assistance as we speak. Go to them now if that is what you wish." Junior smiled and nodded.

"Right!" The Koopa Prince turned to face the door again, but Merlon stopped him just before he could rocket out of the house.

"However, before you leave, I have a gift for you," said Merlon as he handed Junior a flat, soft package. It was wrapped in light blue wrapping paper with a pattern of stars all over. Junior eyeballed the package curiously as he slowly began to unwrap it. "You celebrated a birthday recently, yes?"

"Uhh…yeah. It was a few days ago," said Junior. He eyed the present with remorse. "Didn't get much time to celebrate it though. Y'know, with everything that's happened. But…still. You didn't have to get me anything, Merlon. It's fine."

"I insist you take it. You have made tremendous growth in the short time we have been together, Prince Junior. Therefore, I believe it is customary for you to wear such growth with pride." Curious, Junior tore through the wrapping paper. Inside was a black undershirt, a dim gray wool vest, Prussian blue trousers, a red sash, and a thin brown leather belt. Altogether, the ensemble slightly resembled a ghi.

"Woah, a new outfit?" Junior guessed.

"It is attire traditionally worn by apprentices to masters of magic," Merlon explained. "After all these years, I was never fortunate enough to find an apprentice of my own, sadly. But of all the people I have given instruction to in my time, I consider _you_ to be the most worthy of such a title, Prince Junior."

"...Me?" Junior repeated, beginning to blush.

"I know fully well that current circumstances would never permit you to remain here until you have reached the status of master, as would be customary. Be that as it may, this outfit signifies that you now walk the path of a full-fledged mage. You must continue your training on your own from here. But I do hope you will come back and visit soon so that I may hear all about your adventures." Junior gave him a genuine smile and bowed.

"Thank you, Merlon. For everything. I'll make you proud," said Junior.

"I know you will." Without warning, Junior rushed over and hugged him. He didn't care if Merlon expected it or not. "Oh, there is something else I wish to say to you before you depart. Will you listen?"

"Aw c'mon, old man! Just let him go already!" Toad protested.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure it's important," said Junior, somewhat reluctantly.

"Remember what we discussed before. Though the powers which extend from your own body are strong, I urge you to seek out a conduit."

"Conduit…right. Uhh…heh, can you remind me what that is one more time?" Junior asked sheepishly.

"Of course," Merlon agreed, unfazed by this. "It is a tool mages use to amplify their powers; something through which the magic energy can be channeled. The most common example would be a wand. Prince Junior, do you possess any such item?" A puzzled expression overtook Junior's face as he pondered this for a moment. Then he lit up with an idea.

"Yeah! I've got something in mind. It's back at the castle."

"Excellent, I suggest you make an effort to locate your conduit as soon as you arrive." Junior nodded.

"Will do. Anything else?"

"Hmm…well, I was unsure of when would be the right time to reveal this to you. But I am anticipating that this might be the last time we meet for a while. Therefore, I will tell it to you now."

"What is it?"

"While I was overseeing your training in the Realm of Refuge, I was contacted by a mysterious entity."

"You mean like the one I have in my dreams?"

"Not exactly. I can't explain it in so much detail as my encounter was brief. All I can say is that someone - or rather, a disembodied voice - contacted me and urged me to deliver a message to you."

"Who was it?"

"Sadly, they did not reveal their identity to me. Though they assured me that what they had to say was solely for your benefit."

"Why didn't they just say it to me directly then?"

"Alas, I do not know. The person's time with me was short as I could sense their power was fading by the second. I can only assume this person simply had no time to divulge much extra detail."

"Alright, so what was the message?"

"'Go to the master study room and find a small box lying abandoned on the emerald rug. It is addressed to you personally. The item inside is valuable, but dangerous. It is only to be used as a last resort; in a life-or-death situation.'" Junior waited in silence for moment.

"Is that it?" he asked at last. Merlon nodded.

"I am unsure of the full context myself. But hopefully you can make better use of the message."

"Get my conduit, pick up a box in the master study, and find the others. Got it!"

"Good luck, Prince Junior. Go forth and do not falter in the wake of adversity. You may very well be all that stands between our world and a future of irreparable ruin." Junior nodded and sprinted out the door into the shadows of the night.

* * *

"So where are your stupid friends?" Roy asked as he caught up to Paraplonk, who was hovering just ahead of the group.

"Last I saw them, they were in the throne room. Eris was there. I think she might be holding them prisoner so I need you guys to help me rescue them," Paraplonk explained.

"Not until you tell us where the master key is. We ain't got time for charity work," Roy objected.

"The master key is in the t-throne room," said Paraplonk.

"Where?" Larry probed.

"T-there's a secret compartment behind King Bowser's chair. T-that's where the master key is."

"Behind his chair?" Larry repeated and he placed a claw to his chin. "Well…I guess that _would_ make sense. It's somewhere close to him at pretty much all times." Meanwhile, Peach and Iggy were carrying up the rear as the group strolled down the hall.

"Peach, don't trust a word this guy says," Iggy whispered.

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Peach argued back softly.

"No, not in the slightest. I'm telling you right now, there's something very wrong about this."

"Well what other choice do we have?"

"I know that. All I'm saying is, I'm certain this is a trap. Just keep your guard up, okay?" Peach sighed and shook her head.

"If you say so…"

* * *

The full moon gleamed brightly in the evening sky as Junior approached the castle. In a cosmic way, it felt good to be home, even though he knew there was nothing but trouble waiting ahead. The Koopa Prince swallowed the bittersweet sentiment, made his way around back, and hopped over the moat. Eyeing the immense stone wall before him, Junior spotted an open window.

"Perfect!" he said excitedly. The Koopa Prince closed his eyes and put his hands together to pray. There was no telling what kind of danger was waiting for him inside. But with the training he'd received from Merlon, he was confident he was ready for it.

At last, he could feel the warm, swirling sensation in the pit of his stomach. Junior crouched down as low as he could, then immediately rocketed straight up high into the air with dizzying speed; grabbing onto the window's edge with ease when he reached it. To think that Mario had always made jumping look so easy over the years. But now Junior could easily surpass him with a little more training. With the physical magic power Junior now possessed, gravity was little more than a mild annoyance than anything.

Junior lit the torch on the wall nearby and found himself back in his own bedroom. Now he was thankful he always kept his window open.

Surely this was the only place in the entire building he could've possibly felt safe. Yet Junior still felt compelled to only grab the essentials and be on his way without dwelling here for long. The Koopa Prince snatched up an olive green shoulder bag from his closet and scurried around the room to pack it up in a hurry with his Switch, a few snacks, and his magic text book that Kammy and Ludwig had given him. Junior lingered a moment to stare solemnly at this item in particular. Those lessons felt like so long ago now. He couldn't help but scold himself now over how much time he'd wasted when he should've just studied before. Regardless, the book was sure to come in handy now. If only Ludwig and Kammy could've been here to see what he'd learned about magic since then. Junior only hoped they'd be proud of him.

Closing the bag, Junior prepared to head out when he suddenly tripped. His annoyance melted into relief when he saw what had snagged his foot.

"Oh yeah, this'll do just fine," he said with a smile.

Ascending the stairs, Junior entered the master study room on the next floor up. The air was freezing and sent a chill slithering across his arms. There was a lingering sense of dread in this room, but he couldn't tell why. What were his now-honed senses trying to tell him? Or maybe it wasn't his power at all. Maybe it was his memory.

This was Kammy's favorite room in the entire castle. She spent more time in this study than even her own living quarters. The latter was primarily used by her for sleeping, but the witch had dozed off in the master study hundreds of times. Nobody really knew why Kammy loved this room so much, not even Bowser. If anyone ever needed to find her, it wasn't hard to do so. It was obvious where she was. She was always in here reading, meditating, sipping tea, or napping. She often requested to have her meals brought up here because she claimed her bones were sore, so she couldn't always make it down to the dining hall. Junior remembered the Koopalings morbidly joking years ago that Kammy would die in this room one day. They were young and stupid back then so they didn't know any better. But now, Junior wished that had come true. Kammy probably would've preferred that, honestly. Going peacefully in your sleep in a place that was special to you, that was a much better way to go out than being murdered.

The Koopa Prince didn't think about this too long, as he quickly discovered a small brown package on the floor nearby. As the mysterious voice had instructed, it was addressed to him. Junior carefully lifted the box's flaps and peered inside. His expression fell and he sighed. Junior was surprised by what he found, but at the same time, he wasn't. Although, he didn't immediately believe this could possibly help him now of all times, and especially not in a life-or-death situation. Still, there wasn't much reason for Junior to distrust the message he received from Merlon, and it couldn't hurt to bring this item along anyway. He stuffed the contents of the box into his bag and rushed out the door.

Now, it was time to find the others.

* * *

Paraplonk lead Roy, Larry, Iggy and Peach into the throne room. To their bewilderment, it had received a thorough cleaning since they were here last. The damaged structures had been repaired and the floors were swept and cleaned. The room looked pristine; as though their first encounter with Contemno had never happened. Kammy's corpse was nowhere to be seen, which made Larry's stomach twist into a knot.

"Ah, there you are. Nice of you to drop in," a familiar voice greeted them. The group froze dead in their tracks as their jaws dropped. Sitting comfortably in Bowser's chair was Eris. Her legs were crossed and her head was propped up by her hand as she stared down at them smugly.

"Eris!" Larry exclaimed.

"What the heck's goin' on here, pail-brain!?" Roy shouted angrily as he stared at Paraplonk. The latter didn't respond. The Paratroopa just looked straight ahead at Eris with hopeful eyes and flapped his wings to approach her slightly.

"I-I brought them here. J-just like you asked."

"Say what!?" said Roy.

"So you did," said Eris as she sipped from a glass of wine she'd been holding in her other hand.

"S-so now will you let my friends go?" Paraplonk chirped timidly.

"You rotten little…you sold us out!" Roy continued, though nobody seemed to be responding to his outbursts.

"Yes, I suppose your usefulness has ended," said Eris. She snapped her fingers and suddenly two hostages appeared out of thin air in front of them. One was a Goomba dressed in a blue outfit resembling a court jester, and the other was a lime green Shy Guy. The chains that had bound the pair together disappeared, so they were free to embrace with Paraplonk.

"Corporal Paraplonk!" they greeted cheerfully in unison.

"Private Goomp! Sergeant Guy! Thank goodness you're okay!" he replied. Roy roared and prepared to charge at them, but Larry, Iggy and Peach all held him back.

"YOU STINKIN' WORM! I SHOULDA GUESSED YOU'D DOUBLE-CROSS US! YOU NO GOOD, TWO-TIMIN'! LEMME AT 'EM! LEMME AT 'EM!"

"Chill out, Roy!" Larry warned him.

"So I was right then, this _was_ a trap," Iggy surmised calmly. Eris sipped her wine again.

"Bingo. Shouldn't have taken a brainiac like you to figure that out though," she replied.

"But why?" Peach asked as she looked at Paraplonk. "How could you do this to us?"

"I-I'm sorry, guys. I didn't have a choice. She had my friends held captive and I just-"

"Oh you're _gonna_ be sorry in about two seconds when I get my claws on you!" Roy threatened as he continued struggling to get free.

"Trust me, this isn't much of a surprise to us," said Iggy. "Out of all of Bowser's henchmen you could've possibly used to catch us, it only makes sense you'd go for the ones who's loyalty to the throne is already questionable at best."

"Actually, _any_ of your little stooges would've worked," said Eris. "It just so happened that these dolts required the least amount of motivation. Zero sense of loyalty to their lousy king, the ferocity of a newborn puppy, and the fact that separating even of one of them makes their little troupe instantly fall apart at the seams. I couldn't have asked for better bait."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. These guys are scum. So what happens now?" Larry asked.

"H-honestly, guys! We didn't want to hurt you! It's just that-" said Paraplonk.

"Shut your mouth, traitor!" Roy stopped him.

"Whatever happens next is up to you," said Eris cryptically.

"What does _that_ mean?" Peach asked. Eris snapped her finger again. Out of nowhere, Morton, Lemmy and Wendy all swooped down from above and circled the group.

"You _could_ try fighting us again if you really want to. After all, you got lucky and slipped away last time. But the question is, are you feeling lucky enough to try that again?"

"You bet we are!" Larry challenged.

"You sure about that? You'd better think carefully. Sitting here slugging it out with us isn't gonna get you any closer to finding your little key, now is it?"

"So, you _did_ overhear us earlier…," said Peach.

"You were trying to steal one of those airships, and now you need the key to do it, am I right?"

"Tch, like we'd ever tell you anything!" Roy exclaimed.

"Drop the façade, big guy. It doesn't work on me," said Eris. "Besides, you have no chance of winning this little game now. Not while I hold all the pieces."

"What makes you so confident you've beaten us?" Peach asked. "We've already surprised you before."

"True, but I find it hard to believe you'll be able to outsmart us this time if you stumbled into my trap so carelessly," Eris explained. "I ripped that spineless turtle-fly away from his pathetic friends so he'd do my bidding. Then I stuffed him in the chest knowing you'd 'rescue' him like the goodie-goodies you are. All he needed to do was lure you here with the promise of something you needed. That way, you'd follow him, even if you didn't trust him. You had no other choice. All I had to do was say I'd let Private Dumb and Sergeant Dumber over here go free and pail-head would be at my beck and call. Not one of my more elaborate plans I'll admit, but it got the job done. But as for you, I highly doubt you'll be able to capture lightning in a bottle twice. That's how I know I've won, among other reasons. But now that you're here, we can get down to business."

"You mean turning us into your slaves like you already did with our brothers and sister, right?" Larry asked.

"Of course. But before that, there's something I'm dying to know. I won't be satisfied until you tell me."

"What?" Roy asked.

"Why did you come back here in the first place? Why try to steal an airship? Just where were you trying to go?" she said with a scoff; mocking the very idea.

"What makes you think for one second we'll tell you any of that?" Larry stopped her. Eris reached behind the chair for a brief moment. When it returned, she held a glistening, golden key in between her gloved fingers.

"Because I'm prepared to make it worth your while. You need this key, and you won't leave until you get ahold of it. It just so happens that I'm willing to part with it. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know," said Eris.

"But why would you do that?" Peach asked. "You just said you were going to make us your slaves. So what would be the point of giving us the key at all? It's not like you have any intention of letting us go."

"And what do you care what we were plannin' to do? You've got us now so we're not goin' anywhere. It's over," said Roy.

"Oh come on! You're all taking this much too seriously! Lighten up!" Eris said with a laugh. "I mean, yeah. It's over for you. You've lost. That much is pretty clear. And the brainwashing is inevitable. That'll come soon enough. But just let me relish in the moment! After all, what's the point of winning if I don't get any enjoyment out of it?"

"'Enjoyment?' Is all of this just a game to you!?" Larry exclaimed angrily.

"Of course it is! You're no _real_ threat to Contemno or me or any of us for that matter. We're already getting what we want. So what's the rush? Why skip right to the part where we turn you into our slaves? Talk about boring! I'm just trying to spice things up a bit; you know, make it actually interesting."

"You're so twisted!" Peach objected. "Toying with us the way you are and acting without any consideration for how many lives you've already ruined. How can you honestly expect us to think lightly of this situation after all that!? What's wrong with you!?" Eris chuckled ominously.

"People have been asking me that for years. I'm just in it to enjoy myself, you stick in the mud."

"…What?" Peach ask as she froze at this eerily simple response.

"After all, life's short and we all die in the end anyway. Might as well have some fun. That's always been my philosophy. Right now's no different. What, did you think you were on some grand crusade to save the world? Too bad, because there's no world left to save. We control all of it."

"You don't really expect us to believe that. You're exaggerating at best," Iggy accused.

"Go out and take a look for yourself. That is, if you can escape from me first," Eris challenged. She snapped her finger once again. On command, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy all summoned their weapons. "It would be boring if you surrendered without a fight. I expect you to struggle. In fact, I _demand_ it."

"You're insane…," said Peach.

"Glad you noticed." She held out the key in front of them one more time. "If you can take this key from me and leave this castle with your lives, maybe I'll consider you worthy prey and not just play-things." Larry, Peach, and Roy summoned their weapons as well. As tired as they all were already, round two was here. As they each prepared to face the same previous opponent, something unexpected happened.

Morton shoved Roy out of the way and swung his fire hammer down on Peach, who blocked it with her open parasol. Larry hopped over an incoming ring from Wendy, and as he recovered, Roy was pelted by a rubber ball as Lemmy stared him down from a distance.

"They switched!" Iggy exclaimed.

With the others distracted, the Koopaling found himself face to face with Eris, who stood up and slowly descended from the chair.

"We didn't come as far as we did just by relying on a single strategy," Eris gloated. A black bubble encompassed the key, and Eris casually tossed it over her shoulder as it landed in Bowser's chair. A new series of items materialized in Eris's free hand. They appeared to be large needles with containers of an ominous red liquid attached to each one. Without warning, Eris threw the needles like darts. Iggy ducked, but quickly realized she wasn't aiming for him.

He turned and watched in horror as each of the needles stabbed Paraplonk, Goomp, and Sergeant Guy. The trio fell to their knees and shook in visible anguish. Red veins slithered across their limbs like spiders and their eyes were consumed in blank crimson voids. Whatever transformation they had just undergone, Iggy gathered it was identical to what had happened to his siblings.

Eris casually flicked her wrist. The trio took off together in a charge towards Iggy and overwhelmed him. Within seconds, he was pressed firmly against the wall. But something caught his eye.

Eris tossed the empty wine glass aside. A small shattering sound muttered in the distance as it collided with the wall. Iggy struggled to suppress his fear as he watched a shadowy aura envelop Eris's arm and turn her entire limb into a black sword.

"You…just said you didn't rely on just one single strategy, right?" Iggy asked between breaths. Eris didn't respond. "That's good." The Koopaling stretched his neck out and bent over as far as he could. He chomped down into Paraplonk's arm. This created a chain reaction as the Paratroopa released his grip on Iggy and stumbled back; shoving his comrades aside and causing them to also loosen their hold. Iggy was able to break free just long enough to reach up and swipe his claws at a rope attached to the wall behind him. The material severed and seconds later, a large chandelier crashed down on top of the trio.

"Because neither did we," Iggy finished. Eris laughed at his rebuttal. Suddenly she rushed towards him. The Koopaling reached for a tall, brass floor candle holder and used it to counter the incoming blade.

"Not bad, four-eyes. But let's see what you're really made of!" Iggy rolled his eyes.

"As if I haven't heard _that_ name before…"

Peach delivered a couple of hardy blows at Morton, but he was barely fazed by them. It became quickly apparent that she lacked the raw strength needed to challenge him. The only person on their team who was immediately qualified for the task was Roy, but he had his own problems to deal with right now. It couldn't be helped. Peach could only keep hammering away at Morton with everything she had. She opened her parasol to block Morton's attacks, but she knew this wouldn't hold forever. They had to think of something fast. Peach only hoped she could keep Morton at bay long enough for them to come up with a strategy.

Larry jumped and sprinted as fast as he could to get away; only managing to dodge Wendy's rings by sheer luck and nothing else. He blindly shot behind him with his pistol and missed. The ring sped up as it flew closer. Larry's heart skipped a beat when he realized the wall at the opposite end of the room was quickly approaching. Wendy would have him cornered at this rate. But instead of halting or even changing direction, Larry instead continued running straight ahead.

As soon as he reached it, the Koopaling jumped towards the stone structure. His feet touched the wall, then he quickly bent his knees and spring boarded off of it into a mid-air backflip. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to adjust his sights. Seconds later he was in position for the perfect shot. Larry hastily pulled the trigger and fired a magic bullet. It collided with the flying ring. The impact sent it flying in the opposite direction. Wendy barely dodged it in time before immediately retracting it.

As soon as Larry landed though, Wendy was already on top of him; gripping her other ring and swinging it madly at him. Larry dodged for his life. If that ring so much as grazed any part of him, he'd be done for. He seized a single second of freedom to smack his pistol with his free hand and transform it into his trusty shield. This would make it harder for Larry to dodge Wendy's advances, but it at least gave his own body more protection.

His insurance didn't last long, however. The shield collided with the ring, and the former was encapsulated within and crushed to pieces. Larry ducked, dodged and hopped away from Wendy's attacks. His heart was racing. He was defenseless now.

Lemmy wasted no time launching his barrage of rubber balls. Roy clapped his hands and slammed them down on the floor in front of him. As he lifted his arms straight up, Roy pulled up a solid wall of rock to shield himself from the incoming assault. The wall held as each ball bounced off, but they immediately returned to Lemmy's side. Roy wracked his brain as he tried to determine what his brother's next move would be. He poked his head out from behind the wall to take a look.

Lemmy clapped his hands. A cloud appeared just below for him to stand on. All of the rubber balls were instantly transformed into Spinies, which curled up into their shells.

 _That must be his Lakitu Stance he always bragged about in training_ , Roy thought. _Guess I'll get to see it in action now…_

Lemmy thrusted his hand forward. The Spinies ricocheted towards Roy with blinding speed. Roy retreated behind his barrier. As the Spinies collided with the rock, large cracks began to form all around. They hadn't gotten through yet, but this wall wouldn't hold for long. The Koopaling quickly jammed his fist into the center of each crack as they formed. Chunks of stone repelled the Spinies all the way back at Lemmy. The latter flew around on his cloud to dodge them. Neither side let up on their offense. Lemmy fired Spiny after Spiny, and Roy countered each one by launching a rock at them. When Roy's wall was completely gone, he rolled out of the way and used his physical magic to immediately build another. This was getting him nowhere, but it was all he could do until he could think of something better.

Iggy's candle holder clashed with Eris's sword multiple times. His makeshift weapon was long enough that he didn't really have to exert much effort beyond angling it when he was using it for defense. Unfortunately, defending himself was about all he could do. The candle holder didn't lend itself well to swinging or slashing around like a sword without causing its holder to stumble from the weight of the motion.

 _What do we do_!? he thought as he glanced around the room between exchanges with his opponent. Things were not going well.

Morton yanked Peach's parasol clean from the princess's hand and slugged her across the face. Peach was sent flying across the room from the attack. She was out cold as she landed and her body sprawled out lifelessly on the rug. Morton strolled over to her casually and hoisted Peach over his shoulder triumphantly.

Larry grabbed Wendy's wrists with each of his hands, jumped, and pushed with both legs to launch himself off of her chest in a similar fashion to his wall jump moments ago. Wendy was shoved back a bit, but recovered quickly. She threw both of her rings simultaneously. Larry slid under one of the rings, but he failed to keep track of where the second one went. When he noticed, it was too late. The ring had soared the long way around his blind spot and approached from behind. The ring collided with Larry's leg and the Koopaling was engulfed in a golden light.

When the light faded, Larry found his legs had been tightly bound together within the ring. Standing up or even moving was impossible. The ring Larry had dodged earlier circled back around and tapped his forearm. After another flash of light, the Koopaling found his wrists were now cuffed together. He had been caught. All he could do now was sit hopelessly and watch as Wendy approached him.

All at once, the Spinies immediately retreated to Lemmy's side. Roy ran out from behind his wall, clapped, and swung his arms in a diagonal motion across his body. A cylindrical stone pillar jutted out from the top of the wall and shoved Lemmy off of his cloud. But not before Lemmy released his Spiny army once more. This time, they scattered in every direction. The projectiles began to bounce off the walls, floor and ceiling in a pinball fashion. Roy tried to avoid the Spinies as they reached him, but it was futile. There were just too many and they were coming from all directions. It was impossible for Roy to avoid them all.

The cloud managed to catch Lemmy before he hit the ground. Roy took blow after blow from the Spinies, but stood firm. They persistently whittled away at the Koopaling's defenses until he was battered and bruised enough to drop his guard. Lemmy jumped high into the air and raised his hands. The Spinies came together and combined into one large Spiny. With the flick of his wrist, Lemmy brought the large Spiny down directly on top of Roy, who was too stunned and fatigued to even try avoiding it. He was pinned to the ground under its weight, and Lemmy sat atop his creation proudly.

Iggy was the only one left standing. With one hardy swing, Eris smacked the candle holder clean out of Iggy's hands and forced him up against the wall; her sword at his throat.

"Looks like it's game over, four-eyes.," she said confidently. Iggy looked away. He refused to look into her eyes. Doing so would mean admitting defeat. Iggy couldn't let her get to him. There had to be _something_ he could do. His eyes raced around the room, but he found nothing. Morton, Wendy and Lemmy gathered their defeated opponents in the center and encased them together in one of Wendy's rings. She threw another in Iggy's direction, but he did nothing to avoid it. Accepting his defeat, Iggy's arms were bound tightly to his sides. Eris poked him with her blade and forced the Koopaling to walk shamefully towards the others.

"Not bad, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting more out of you," said Eris smugly. She shrugged. "Oh well, it would seem the game really is over now. I've had my fun, but it's time to get back to work."

Another handful of injection needles materialized between her fingers as Eris stalked towards her prey. Peach, Larry, and Roy gradually came back into consciousness and took turns struggling in vain to break free.

"Why don't we start with _you_ , four-eyes?" she proposed as she watched any remaining shred of hope fade from Iggy's pupils. She threw one of the needles like a dart. Iggy shut his eyes and winced.

Suddenly, a piercing ring sliced through the air. The needle was sent flying in the opposite direction as it landed on the floor; the red contents spilling out with the shattering of the glass vile. A figure landed and slid a few inches in front of Iggy. Eris's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

"You guys kept me waiting too long," a familiar voice said. The other three turned to look at him. Spreading his feet apart and twirling his paint brush before letting it rest on his shoulder, Junior now stood before them, smirking. "Figures I'd have to come bail you out."

"Junior!" Larry exclaimed.

"Heh, nice timing, squirt," Roy praised with a chuckle.

"What're you doing here!?" Iggy asked as his heart rate eased back into its normal tempo. "Shouldn't you be training!?"

"I finished with that, so I figured I'd come check things out here. Good thing I did or who knows what might've happened!"

"Well we're certainly glad you did," said Peach. Eris continued to stare silently at Junior, feeling particular disgust upon seeing his new attire.

"Nice pajamas, little prince," she mocked. "I was wondering where you were. Finally decided to wake up from our nap, did we?"

"Again with the kid jokes?" said Junior. "Come up with some new insults, will ya? I haven't known you very long and I'm already sick of your routine." Eris gritted her teeth. She didn't like what she was seeing in the slightest.

 _It's not just his outfit…_ , she thought. _There's something…different; a certain aura about him. And those eyes…they're not the same as they were before. There's no fear in them anymore. I don't like the looks of this at all._

""Are you guys okay?" Junior asked without looking back.

"It's been a long night…," Roy admitted. "But we're managin.'"

"Well, don't sweat it. I can take things from here."

"Hold on, you mean by yourself?" Iggy asked. "Are you out of your mind? There's no way you can-"

"Relax. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready for this," Junior assured with a smile. He twirled his paintbrush as the tip of it began to glow in a golden light. It transformed in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, Junior was now wielding a scythe.

"What the…?" Larry began.

"Hmm, weird. I wanted a sword," said Junior, although he didn't sound the slightest bit worried by this development in reality. "But, I guess this'll do." The captives winced when Junior swung his blade at them without warning. It severed the ring that had bound them with ease. They helped one another stand up slowly. None of them had much energy left at this point, but they didn't have much choice other than to fight once more. Roy cracked his knuckles and rotated his shoulder.

"Alright, let's do this," he said.

"Just stay back," Junior halted them in their place with his brush. "I'll handle this."

"Careful, we don't want to hurt the others too badly," Larry warned.

"Yeah, obviously. What happened to them anyway?" Junior asked.

"We're not sure exactly. They're under some kind of mind control. We're gonna get it too if we don't get out of here."

"I'll hold them off. The rest of you get to the airship. You did find it, right?"

"Of course, but there's a problem. We need the master key to get it running," Iggy explained.

"Master...key…?" Junior repeated. His sibling pointed at the key trapped in a bubble, which was now resting on Bowser's chair. The Koopa Prince's expression remained skeptical.

"Without that key, there's no getting out of here. It's all or nothing at this point," said Iggy.

"If you say so," Junior accepted with a shrug.

Eris folded her arms and decided to stand back and observe. The prince had changed since she had last seen him. Perhaps it was worth waiting and seeing if there was any substance to his new appearance. If it kept the fun going even for just a little bit longer, who was she to complain?

Morton, Lemmy and Wendy had them surrounded and inched closer. Junior's scythe transformed again. This time it became a large mallet. He challenged Morton's own head-on as it approached. To everyone's surprise, Junior managed to force his towering sibling back, spun around, and slugged Morton in the chest with all his might. The Koopaling was sent flying back and crashed into the wall.

Wendy and Lemmy prepared their weapons and attacked Junior together. The Koopa Prince leaned from side to side, hopped, and shuffled around to dodge all of the rings and Spinies; his feet gliding across the floor like ice skates as he moved with a deliberate momentum that none of them had ever seen. When did he become so quick on his feet?

Junior's brush turned into a cane and caught one of Wendy's rings before it caught him. He tossed it to deflect one of Lemmy's Spinies, then back flipped to avoid a few other Spinies closing in on him. His brush then turned into a spear, which he used to skewer several Spinies in a row like a kebab. Next, Junior sped forward and jumped high into the air. He used his new spiked staff to whack Lemmy off the latter's cloud; sending him soaring straight into the wall. After his collision and swift fall back to earth, Lemmy struggled to push himself up off the floor with his arms, but collapsed.

Wendy clapped her hands together. Half a dozen gold rings appeared along each of her arms. She spun on the tips of her high heels and formed a golden tornado. It spewed rings rapidly at Junior like a turret. Before he could do anything, Peach jumped in and blocked the onslaught with her parasol.

"What're you doing? I just said I-"

"I know what you said," said Peach. "But I refuse to sit by and let someone else fight my battles for me." The Koopa Prince was taken aback by the determination in her eyes when she glanced back at him. "I've already lived my whole life that way. Not anymore. We're in this together, no matter what you say." Junior shook his head as if to shake off the sentiment of the moment.

"Fine. Do what you want. Just make sure you keep up when we make a run for it," said Junior. Peach gave him a nod and hardened her stance. Two rock pillars appeared at each side of her parasol; widening its area of coverage. Roy, Larry and Iggy stood close by.

"You guys too?" Junior asked, though he already knew the answer deep down.

"What kind of subjects would we be if we left our king to do all the fighting?" Larry asked with a smile.

"And besides, it's going to take all of us to get that key and escape with our lives at this point," said Iggy. "But if you don't mind, Junior, I have a suggestion." The Koopa Prince nodded. Larry and Roy leaned closer as Iggy whispered the plan to them all.

"Yeah, that's good. That should work," Junior approved. "Just watch your aim, alright Larry? I don't need a magic bullet in my hip." Larry chuckled at that.

"No promises," he retorted. With Wendy distracted, Junior, Larry, Roy, and Iggy sprinted out in opposite directions from behind Peach's defense to execute their plan. Junior clapped, hopped, and transformed into his spike ball form as he rocketed across the room towards Eris. She thrusted her arm forward and blasted him away with an enormous black aura pulse.

Roy thrusted his arms up and created a tall stone pillar that deflected the spike ball in a different direction. Eris tried to follow the course of Junior's flight, but something else caught her attention. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Iggy trying to sneak the long way around her as he neared the throne. A black bubble formed in her hand, and she threw it directly at Iggy, who ducked to avoid it. He took several steps back to avoid several more bubbles until his shell was against the wall; Eris slowly closed in on him; her eyes filled with malicious intent.

Roy didn't waste any time as he immediately ran across the room and created another pillar. This time however, Larry was standing on top of it. He jumped off the top, took aim, and fired a bullet at the spike ball. The impact caused it to change course again. The ball fell straight down into the eye of the golden tornado and clobbered Wendy hard into the ground. Her tornado of rings disappeared instantly.

"Bullseye," Larry said proudly as Roy caught him upon his descent back down to earth. Junior uncurled from his ball form and stood back. He wasted no time collecting his unconscious sister. There was no telling how much time he had left, but he needed to pull off this last crucial step before she woke up.

Junior, Larry and Roy lined the unconscious Wendy, Lemmy, and Morton up against the wall, where Roy restrained them with stone braces, similar to how Contemno had trapped them here previously.

"No _way_ are these gonna hold them when they wake up," said Junior.

"Then we better make sure we're gone before that happens," said Roy.

Eris choked Iggy with one hand and lifted him off the ground. He kicked and struggled but couldn't get free. Her grip was too strong, and Iggy could feel the air being sucked from his lungs by the minute. Peach swung her parasol at Eris from behind, but the latter anticipated her attack.

"Not _this_ time, sweetheart!" she taunted as she twisted around, reached out, and choked Peach as well. Junior, Larry and Roy rushed over. "I wouldn't get involved if I were you," Eris warned. "One more step and I snap their necks." Junior clenched his fists. What should he do now?

"Give it up, Eris!" Roy threatened. "You're all alone now, and if you really think you can hold Peach and Iggy while fighting the three of us, you've got a death wish."

"Is that so!?" she replied with a laugh. This annoyed Roy more than it disturbed him. Black veins sprouted from Eris's hand and glided across Peach's neck; slowly encompassing her body. Her breath grew short and her vision blurred. Reality faded away. She could feel everything going dark.

Was this what it felt like to lose all control? Is this what Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy felt? Or was this death? Toadsworth knew that feeling now. Was it her turn to join him? Peach could faintly hear Junior, Larry, and Roy calling out to her. But their voices grew softer and blended together into distorted noise. With her senses disabled, Peach was about to give in to the unknown that awaited her. Suddenly, a sharp heat flooded her senses. The chill of the abyss melted away. Pink light consumed the shadows and returned her vision to reality.

Peach immediately looked around and found herself cocooned inside a large pink bubble of some kind. Eris had released her grip on Peach's neck, but was now struggling to pull her hand free from the bubble. The princess curled up into a fetal position, then immediately stretched her limbs out wide in an "x" pose. The sharp pang of glass shattering encompassed the room as pink shards of the bubble flew off in all directions before disappearing. Eris slid a few feet, but managed to keep her balance. All of the inhabitants of the room froze to look at her. Peach looked down and examined her hands.

 _That power…what in the world was it?_ she pondered. But before anyone could raise the question aloud, Iggy spoke up.

"Guys, c'mon! Let's get out of here!" He exclaimed as he gripped Peach's wrist and took off towards the door. He was now carrying the key in his other hand, which he'd managed to procure in the chaos. Junior, Roy and Larry weren't far behind. Unfortunately for them, neither was Eris.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not through with you yet!" she warned. Her hands began to glow a violent red color. When they met the floor, a giant crack severed the entire room in two. The castle began to quake around them, and a pool of red liquid immediately poured out from the crack as it began to fill the flood the grand hall. Eris stopped once she reached the doorway.

Larry glanced back one last time and couldn't decide what was more terrifying, the river of red liquid that was now chasing them down the hall, or the fact that Eris wasn't. She just stood there and crossed her arms, smiling menacingly. The red river rushed straight past her, yet she wasn't fazed by it in the slightest. She stood firm like a rock over the ocean. Was it magic that was allowing her to defy the laws of physics this way instead of being swept up in the current? Larry didn't have time to think about this as Roy grabbed his hand and motioned for him to catch up.

The group raced down the staircase as more and more liquid jetted out from holes in the walls, adjacent hallways, and open rooms all around them. At this rate, the entire castle would be flooded in minutes. Yet, Iggy noticed there seemed to be something almost…sentient about it. The way this liquid conveniently burst out wherever they just so happened to be. It was almost as if the liquid could sense where they were in the castle and was able to immediately target them.

With the flood now up to their ankles, the group barged into the garage and made a beeline straight for the airship Iggy had been working on previously. Roy released Larry's hand and stood back. His brother turned to acknowledge him.

"Roy, what're you doing!? C'mon!" Larry exclaimed. Roy clapped his hands and made a wide sweeping motion with his arms; building an enormously tall stone wall that encompassed the entire length of the warehouse-like basement. This halted the flow of red doom, but it was sure to only be a temporary solution.

"I'm gonna try to slow this stuff down!" Roy called back.

"But-"

"Go, go!" Larry hesitated, then turned and rushed over to grab the ship's ladder. Despite the liquid slowly climbing the wall as it rose and began to overflow, Roy hurried past the ship and shoved down a large red lever on the wall. A series of cogs stuttered, then slowly began to turn; lifting the grand metallic door leading to the outside. The sun was just beginning to rise in the distant horizon, and now the ship had a clear exit. Roy just hoped they'd get the ship moving in time.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Iggy announced as he jammed the key into the slot on the ship's control panel. To his horror, the key dissolved into ashes the second he turned it. Although it could've been fatigue, Iggy swore he heard Eris's laugh echoing in the room as it happened.

"What just happened!?" Peach panicked.

"The key…it was fake…," said Iggy.

"FAKE!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN FAKE!?" Larry exclaimed.

"Eris gave us a fake key! She was playing us the whole time!" said Iggy as he punched the control panel in frustration.

"Well...what do we do now!?" Peach asked.

"Let's bail! We need to get outta here!" Larry exclaimed.

"How!? The castle's already flooded with that red water and it's probably filling up the garage outside as we speak!" said Iggy.

"Hold on…you said we needed a 'master' key to get this thing to work, right?" Junior spoke up at last. He was completely calm, which horrified all three of them.

"Y-yes, but-," Iggy started. Junior gently pushed him aside and eyed the key slot curiously. He put his index claw in his mouth and sucked on it for a moment. Peach slightly winced in disgust at the sight of this. The Koopa Prince then proceeded to reach for the slot with his now-moistened claw, but Iggy grabbed his wrist.

"What're you doing!?" Iggy exclaimed.

"I've got an idea, just watch!" Junior argued.

"No, stop! You're just gonna get it stuck in-" before the Koopaling could finish, Junior jammed his claw directly into the key slot and twisted it. The entire control panel and monitor lit up green instantly and the engine roared. A new message displayed on the screen.

 **SECURITY SHUTDOWN CODE 97Y-J OVERRIDE INITIATED. ALL SYSTEMS READY FOR LAUNCH.**

Iggy's jaw dropped. Junior tugged and with a little effort, pulled his claw free. Peach and Larry shoved Iggy into the captain's chair.

"How did you-"

"Iggy, c'mon! Get us out of here!" Larry demanded. Shaking his head, Iggy snapped back into reality and rapidly pressed buttons and pulled levers. Suddenly, a panel in the roof opened up and the chair elevated itself up to the deck above outside.

"Hang on to something! This is gonna be close!" he warned as he turned the steering wheel furiously. The ship vibrated around them as it began to move. It rocked slightly and the sound of crashing waves could be heard when they emerged out onto the main deck. Half of the garage was now submerged in the red ocean. Even though it was now pouring out of the castle like a waterfall through the garage exit Roy had opened, even more liquid was pouring in from the hallway to keep the water level consistent.

Soaking wet, Roy swam, then gripped the ladder. He slipped and struggled, but continued to fight as he slowly hoisted himself up the violently swaying vehicle. Peach and Larry caught him just as he lost his grip on the ladder and pulled him aboard. The ship spun around and around as though it were caught in a whirlpool. The red waves pushed and pulled the ship all around the garage. Iggy wrestled with the steering wheel and fought for control. Just as the ship was about to crash into a wall, Roy summoned a stone pillar from the wall itself at the point of potential impact. The structure extended and launched the ship back out towards the center of the room like a pinball.

Iggy capitalized on this small burst of controlled momentum and activated the ship's lower propellers. The ship sailed towards the exit and picked up speed under the red water's current as it approached.

It was do-or-die now.

Junior, Larry, Peach and Roy each found something to hang onto for dear life. Iggy knew that if he couldn't finish getting the main thrusters warmed up in time, they'd plummet right off the mountainside. But there was no turning back now.

"Brace yourselves!" said Iggy as he yanked on the lever to power the thrusters onto full throttle. The airship tipped forward as the current carried it off the cliffside. Gravity sent its crew collectively tumbling forward near the bow, aside from its captain, who was strapped into his seat.

The airship fell into a nosedive.

Peach felt her heart stop.

Time seemed to slow to a standstill in Roy's eyes.

Larry felt weightless and anticipated himself beginning to hover in mid-air at any second.

Junior shut his eyes and tried to regain his focus.

Iggy gritted his teeth. His cheekbone twitched as a single drop of sweat rolled down his face.

Suddenly, an explosion roared as fires burst from the ship's thrusters. Everyone flew back to the opposite end of the ship as it took flight and soared smoothly into the air.

Not long after, it reached the desired altitude. Peach gasped for air after holding her breath. Roy adjusted his glasses, and Larry waited for the room to stop spinning before sitting up. Junior stood as soon as he regained the feeling in his legs.

"Is everyone alright?" Iggy asked. Despite being battered and disoriented, everyone affirmed that they were all still alive. Junior stared at the key slot on the control panel. "You mind telling me what the heck you just did back there?" The Koopa Prince lifted his claw.

"When you said we needed a master key to get the ship running, I guess I thought that was suspicious," said Junior.

""Why?"

"I've never heard of any 'master key', and I'm the prince so you'd think Dad would've mentioned something that important to _me_ of all people, right?"

"Yeah, that much makes sense," said Larry.

"But how did you know to use your claw?" Iggy asked.

"I actually didn't know for sure that would work. But I saw a keyhole like that years ago," Junior explained. "That was a little magic trick Dad taught me once. He knows how to make keyholes that use his claw as the key."

"So you're saying the master key doesn't actually exist?" asked Larry.

"No, it does," said Junior as he shook his head. "It's just not a normal key." Iggy cupped his chin to ponder this.

"Then, I suppose it's possible all we needed the whole time was King Bowser's authorization to unlock the controls. You know, physically."

"But Bowser ain't here, obviously. So why did it work for Junior then?" Roy inserted.

"That part's easy enough to figure out. Junior probably has the same claw type as his father. It just makes sense this would work for him if Bowser can do it that way too." Junior smiled at this.

"Well, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we're grateful to you for showing up when you did and thinking on your toes like that," Peach praised. The Koopa Prince's smile faded, but only slightly. He gave her a small nod. Junior knew the two of them still had a lot to work through. But at least now they would actually get the chance.

"Seconded," Roy agreed. "So what now, Iggs?"

"Slow down, big bro. Let's catch our breath first," said Iggy with a chuckle. "I've already set our coordinates for Sarasaland and the ship's now running on autopilot." The Koopaling stood up from his chair, stretched, and yawned. "It'll take at least a day of flying to get us there. I suggest we all get some rest in the meantime. There's no telling what's waiting for us at our destination."

"Is there a first aid kit on-board somewhere?" Peach asked.

"Over in the drawer," Roy answered. "Why?"

"Let's get those burns treated. Might help you sleep easier." Roy nodded. Junior turned and prepared to exit the room when Larry grabbed his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"The sleep quarters below deck," Junior answered. "Coming?"

"Don't even _think_ about going to sleep yet. After seeing all that stuff you did back at the castle, it's obvious we've got some serious catching up to do!"

"We do?"

"Yes! That was nuts! Your training! You _gotta_ tell me how you learned all that stuff so fast!"

"Heh...yeah. Sure," Junior said with a smile as the two exited the control room.

Iggy lingered for a moment as he stared out the window. He watched the earth slowly rolling past them as the rising sun gradually brought color and shape back to the land. Despite his exhaustion, Iggy had no idea how he was going to sleep in the slightest. There was too much to think about; so much about their enemies and those powers they understood so little about. What was to become of Lemmy, Morton and Wendy now? Eris's words were still fresh in his memory.

 _What, did you think you were on some grand crusade to save the world? Too bad, because there's no world left to save. We control all of it._

"No world left to save." Just what did she mean by that? The Koopaling had a chilling suspicion that things were about to get a lot harder from here.


	27. Bitterness and Black Coffee

**RECAP:**

 **After completing his training with Merlon and receiving his master's full blessing, Junior raced off for Bowser's Castle; fearing the others might be in trouble. Meanwhile, Roy, Peach, Larry and Iggy were escorted by Corporal Paraplonk - a blacklisted minion of Bowser's army - under the promise that he would lead them to the master key. They quickly discovered however, that this was a trap as they found themselves trapped squarely in Eris's clutches.**

 **Luckily, Junior arrived just in time to rescue his comrades. Together, they managed to fight off Eris, Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy and retreated for the airship. It was a narrow escape as Eris flooded the castle in a mysterious red water. In their darkest hour and as if by fate, Junior used his claw as the real master key they needed to start the engine and allow the ship to take flight.**

 **Now the crew was headed for Sarasaland in search of Daisy. But what exactly was waiting for them there remained to be seen.**

* * *

Leanna and Bowser sat at the booth near the table where Mario was resting peacefully. Neither one was quite sure what to say as they each quietly nursed their coffee. The woman examined the serious, troubled expression in Bowser's eyes, took a small sip of her drink, then spoke up at last.

"Before I say anything else, let's get one thing straight."

"What's that?" Bowser permitted with a neutral expression.

"Contemno and I have some history together. But it's not what you think. As a matter of fact, I can't stand him. I want the man dead, and I want to do it on _my_ terms or not at all. So if you think there's any chance I could be deceiving you right now or that I might sell you out, you're dead wrong." Bowser shut his eyes and took a hardy swig of his beverage, burning his tongue slightly.

"It's gonna take more than that to earn my trust. But I admire you being so direct. I'll hear you out." Leanna nodded. "I take it you're not a real waitress then?" The woman paused, wondering where to begin.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Between the shotgun, the motorcycle, your weird little voodoo you just did on Mario a little while ago, and the fact that you seem pretty well-acquainted with Contemno, let's just call it a hunch."

"Sounds like you've got me pegged. You're right, I'm not a real waitress. I know my way around a stove and a recipe book. But other than that, it's all a cover story. My diner's just a gig; something to keep Contemno's eyes off me when he's in the area."

"But what about your customers?" Bowser asked.

"I never get any. You and your mustached friend over there were the first real patrons I've ever had."

"I don't buy that. We saw tons of people out on the street on our way here. You can't honestly tell me that none of them have ever stopped by even once for a hot meal in this awful weather."

"Did you actually _see_ those people, or just their coats and hats?"

"What does it matter?"

"They're not real people. They're illusions." Bowser choked on his coffee slightly, though it was subtle enough not to draw Leanna's attention.

"What do you mean?" Bowser asked.

"Think about what Contemno told you before. You're in his heart's kingdom right now," Leanna explained. "It's not the real world. It's a place he created entirely out of magic. How could real people just randomly live in a place like this?" Bowser stopped to consider such an idea.

"I…guess they couldn't. But what about you? Does that mean I'm just talking to an illusion right now too?" Leanna gripped her mug tightly and blew a sharp breath.

"If only that were true. I wish I could just leave this all behind and drop off the grid for good. Sometimes I wish I'd disappeared a long time ago..."

"Are you just gonna sit there and brood, or do you wanna answer my question?" This made Leanna smile slightly as a small laugh escaped her lips. Bowser's expression glowed with the same kind of subtle, light-hearted sentiment. It seemed they had a similar sense of humor at the very least.

"Oh I'm very real. I snuck into this place on my own, and I have my ways of coming and going as I please. Can't say the same for you. After all, you and your friend are just copies." Bowser's eyebrows rose.

"'Copies?'" he echoed. Leanna nodded.

"Yup. Contemno didn't _actually_ drag you into his heart's kingdom, even if that's what he wants you to think. He just pulled your minds in here and created identical bodies to hold them while you're here."

"Ya lost me…" Leanna finished her drink, set down her mug, and sat up straight in her seat.

"Let me put it to you this way. What's the last thing you remember before waking up in this 'city?'" she asked.

Bowser explained his encounter with the Broodals when he and Rosalina were on the path to Shooting Star Summit. He recalled getting smothered in Spewart's purple liquid and losing consciousness sometime during the fight.

"That's probably when it happened then," said Leanna.

"When _what_ happened?" Bowser pressed.

"Contemno locked you up somewhere in the real world while you were out cold. Right now, you're probably still there; stuck in a coma. While your body's out of commission in the real world, your mind is stuck here in Contemno's world."

"So...I'm just dreaming then?" Leanna shook her head.

"If it were that simple, you would've woken up in the real world already. My guess is, Contemno's got you under some kind of spell or curse that's forcing you to stay asleep no matter what. You can fall asleep, wake up, and run around as much as you want here in the heart kingdom. But no matter what, your body is stuck in a coma in reality. Same is probably true for your friend."

""He has a name."

"Right. 'Mario' was it?" Bowser nodded.

"Well, what about you? Are you in a coma then too?" Leanna stood up and brought the coffee pot over from behind the bar to refill her mug.

"Nope. It's the real me. There's a whole system to all of this, and I've got it figured out pretty well for the most part."

"Well, then you gotta help us somehow!" Bowser exclaimed as Leanna topped off his drink. "How do we get our minds back into our bodies? How do we wake up?"

"Simple, you just have to leave Contemno's heart kingdom. Then your mind will go back to your body and you can wake up; provided there's someone there to lift the curse that's keeping you asleep on the other side beforehand."

"Get out? You mean like, get out of the city?" Leanna shook her head.

"No. This city's floating over a bottomless empty void. If you try waltzing through those gates, you'll just be walking straight off a cliff and falling into who-knows-where." Bowser was absolutely dumbfounded by all of this. "Don't you remember what Contemno told you before?"

"How would you know? You weren't there!"

"It's called spying and eavesdropping, genius. Now think." The Koopa King wracked his brain as he tried to recall it.

 _The only way in or out of this realm is through me._

 _I can allow you to leave this realm with both your memory and voice intact. But only if you swear your allegiance to me._

"Contemno told Mario that the only way out was through him," Bowser recounted.

"Exactly. He can pull you out of his heart's kingdom. That's the first way."

"But after how much I've ticked him off already, there's no way he'll ever do that for _me_ on a whim," Bowser rambled. "Wait…hold on. _First_ way? There's more?" The woman nodded.

"Did you really think Contemno's cronies intentionally put themselves into comas just to follow him in here?"

"I wouldn't put it past them if they're really brain-dead enough to put up with his nonsense," said Bowser. Leanna chuckled.

"You're probably right. But there _is_ another way. They all have _this_." Leanna showed Bowser the palm of her hand, which housed a large red tattoo. It was shaped like some sort of Japanese symbol.

"Nice tattoo. There a point to it?"

"This is how I know you're asleep in reality," she said as she suddenly grabbed Bowser's hand to compare his empty palm with her own. "It's because you don't have this."

"Well, what does _that_ do?"

"It's called a Kagi symbol. In the old days, magic users would give these symbols to people who normally couldn't do magic. It was like sharing a fraction of their power with people, even if those people were physically incapable of doing magic; though its use is extremely limited to one spell." Bowser pulled his hand back and massaged his temples.

"Uggh, all this magic talk is making my head hurt. My kid should be learning all of this, not me. I'm too old," Bowser complained.

"Well you're gonna _have_ to at least understand this stuff if you ever want to beat Contemno, old man. He's been studying magic his entire life. The only way you're ever going to get out of here and be rid of him for good is to beat him at his own game."

"Hold on, you never told me how exactly you know Contemno. What, is he your ex-boyfriend or something?" Leanna scoffed at this as her face scrunched in disgust.

"As if! I would never date a perpetual sad sack like him."

"Then what's your beef with him?" Leanna scowled at the very thought of having to talk about this. Bowser stared at her; mentally willing her to say more. She shook her head and sighed.

"We…used to be friends once; a long time ago. We were all just stupid little kids back then." Bowser sipped his coffee and made a nudging gesture with his mug; pressing her to elaborate.

"I didn't have much growing up. I was practically on my own from the start."

"What about your parents?"

"Never knew 'em. They disappeared not long after I was born. I'll never know why they decided to have a second kid if they were planning on checking out soon after."

"'Second?' Ah, so you have a sibling then."

"Yup, my sister. She practically raised me. We didn't have a home, so we wandered around from place to place for a while; eventually decided to settle in at an old, dumpy orphanage. That was where we met the boy who would one day become Contemno." Leanna stared deep into her dark brown reflection in her coffee.

"Wait, you don't know his actual name?" Bowser pressed.

"I used to. But I don't remember it anymore. I'll get to that later. I remember everyone at the orphanage calling the boy Kitsune, so that's what I'll call him for the time being. Anyway, Kitsune seemed harmless when I first met him, so I didn't think much of him back then. I was too young to know any better."

"What happened?" Bowser asked as he became more engrossed by Leanna's story by the second.

"My sister already had a love of magic as a young girl, and she taught me everything she knew. It was what kept us close. Kitsune knew a thing or two about magic as well, but not as much as my sister. So she gave him some pointers. Turned out that magic was the spark that brought them together."

"You mean…Kitsune and…your sister?" Bowser probed. Leanna nodded solemnly.

"I became the definition of a third wheel. Those two were the closest of friends. They spent all their time together. I used to be the most important person in my sister's life. I was the only family she had, after all. But then Kitsune came along and suddenly, it was like I was invisible. I didn't matter anymore. There was no room left for me in her heart."

"You felt unloved…"

"Yeah, it sucked."

"Well, I know how that feels." Leanna looked at Bowser.

"…You do?" Bowser nodded slowly and sipped his coffee.

"It sounds like neither of us had an ideal childhood," he commented.

"Were you an orphan too?" she asked. Bowser gripped his mug tightly as he felt his deep-seeded hatred begin to fester once more.

"I _wish_. My parents were ashamed of me from day one. My father especially just never had it in him to love me. I never understood why. It was as if he saw something in me the first time he laid his eyes on me; like he could already tell I would grow up to be a disappointment; someone who would never live up to the family name; someone for whom he could never be proud to call his child."

"I'm sorry…," Leanna offered. Bowser didn't acknowledge her in the slightest.

"I probably would've been better off in an orphanage like you. At least there I might've had a chance to find someone who could've loved me; even just a little bit."

"It gets better with time. You learn to look out for yourself and not give a damn about anyone else."

"Ain't that the truth, sister," Bowser affirmed as he lifted his coffee mug for a toast. Their glasses clinked in bitter agreement.

* * *

Iggy sat up slowly, put on his glasses, slunk out of bed, and strolled quietly through the sleeping quarters. He had no idea what time it was or how much sleep he'd actually gotten, but it didn't matter. Not yet anyway.

He looked around the room behind him. Everyone else was sleeping soundly. Peach was turned away and facing the wall, completely motionless. Roy was snoring, Junior was drooling on his pillow a bit, and Larry's blanket was halfway off the bed. Iggy pulled it back over his sibling gently before quietly exiting the room.

Although he himself was reluctant to wake up, Iggy knew it was important to check the navigation system in the control room every few hours in order to ensure the ship was staying on course and there weren't any signs of trouble. As he ascended the stairs, a bitter cold devoured him. The Koopaling began to shiver instantly. His breath was visible, and ice was already beginning to form on the lenses of his glasses.

Iggy couldn't believe how cold it had gotten all of a sudden. When he entered the ship's control room, the map on the monitor indicated they had crossed over the border into Sarasaland about two hours ago. They were now cruising through the outskirts, and Iggy calculated it would take several more hours before they reached the city that Daisy ruled over. If it was this cold already and this far out, the Koopaling shuttered to think of how cold it would get in the capital. He reached for his piping hot cup of tea and sipped it. The drink burned his tongue, but Iggy hardly noticed. He was too lost in thought.

More than anything else, he was desperate to find out what was happening to this place.

* * *

"So what happened next? With your sister and Kitsune, I mean. Is she still around?" Bowser asked. Leanna slowly sipped her coffee.

"Well…," she started. "One day, someone came to the orphanage looking to adopt. The guy settled on Kitsune. My sister was devastated when he told her this. She had been crushing on him so hard at the time that she couldn't stand the idea of them ever being apart. He was all she cared about; her entire world. Losing him would ruin her. Kitsune offered my sister to come along; to try and convince the adopter to take them both in as a packaged set. Kitsune even came up with this crazy scheme to convince the guy that he and my sister were siblings."

"So...what happened?"

"My sister refused."

"Huh? Why would she do that if she loved this guy so much?"

"You have to understand, my sister was something of a free spirit. She had been wandering around on the road with only me by her side for so long that she could never let herself be tied down in one place forever. With our parents gone, I was the only family she ever had. But after she met Kitsune, even I didn't matter anymore. The concept of having a family and planting roots with them had zero appeal to her. She just wanted to be with him forever. Nothing more, nothing less. With Kitsune going away, there was nothing keeping my sister at the orphanage anymore. So, like she always did when things got too hard, she ran away."

"That must've been rough," Bowser commented. "What about you?"

"Same thing."

"How so?"

"Since Kitsune stole all of my sister's attention, I had to become more independent when we were living at the orphanage. I was such a loner that most families who came to the orphanage to adopt didn't bat an eye at me. I had immunity. With all my free time and just like my sister, I also found someone special at the orphanage. There was a guy who I deeply cared about too. But as fate would have it, my new friend also got adopted around the same time as Kitsune. But unlike my sister, I never got a chance to tell the guy how I felt about him." Bowser looked to the floor in disbelief.

"Ouch…that really sucks…," he offered. Leanna shrugged and shook her head.

"Hey, that's what you get for living in an orphanage. One minute your friends are there with you, then the next, they're gone; never to be seen again."

"What did you do then?"

"With my heart ripped out, I ran right back into my sister's arms, and surprisingly, she came back to me. We realized then that we needed each other again. No matter who came and went in our lives, we'd always have each other." The woman gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I take it that's not where your story ends, is it?" Bowser inquired. Leanna shook her head and wiped at the tear forming in her eye as she smothered her emotion before it could overtake her.

"If it was, she'd probably be here sipping coffee with us right now. We'd be laughing about all of this looking back on it now. But…that's just not how it is…"

"But if Kitsune – or I guess, Contemno - got adopted back then, how did he rope you back into all of this now? Where's your sister? Is she…?"

"Dead?" Leanna finished. "No. She's still around. In fact, I still see her every now and then. But she hardly pays me any mind." A heavy sigh as the woman leaned back in against the leather booth. "It feels just like when we were kids. She has her precious Kitsune back so…I've been invisible again ever since…" she described as her voice shook a little.

Bowser could tell it was getting harder and harder for Leanna to keep going. Clearly, the story was getting increasingly more painful for her to retell. But he was determined to hear it all. He needed to learn as much about Contemno as he could.

Besides, if what Contemno had said before was true, Bowser was trapped in this magic world. And even aside from that, Mario was out of commission at the moment. Bowser knew he couldn't go anywhere without his partner. So for the moment, the Koopa King had nothing better to do than listen to Leanna's story. If nothing else, it killed time.

There was only one thing he could do now. It was time to channel whatever minuscule ounce of sympathy he had developed in the pit of his stomach while under Peach's tutelage.

In a bold gesture and at the risk of overstepping some boundaries, Bowser placed his hand over Leanna's. She froze and looked at him, startled.

"I know this is hard for you. But I need you to keep going," said Bowser sternly. Leanna took back her hand and rubbed her face in exhaustion. He grabbed the empty coffee pot and climbed out of the booth. "I'll make us another pot."

"No…I'm fine," said Leanna. "I'll keep going." Bowser took his seat and prepared himself to listen for more.

"What happened next?" he asked.

"A few years after my sister and I left the orphanage, our paths crossed with Kitsune again; pretty much out of nowhere. We ran into him in some random town we just so happen to be passing through. Of course, he and my sister were anxious to catch up again, but I couldn't have cared less. That was when we learned how utterly miserable Kitsune had been in his new home."

"'Miserable?" Bowser repeated. Leanna nodded.

"He couldn't stand the family he had ended up with, but he felt obligated to be courteous with them since they had taken him in all those years before. So, he kept his hatred a secret from them."

"What was so bad about his family?"

"I don't really know, honestly. He didn't talk about them in too much detail, at least not to me; probably didn't want to because he just couldn't stand living with them that much. Kitsune was much too old to move back into the orphanage at that point, and of course, my sister couldn't help but think of him throughout all the time they had been apart. So the obvious choice then was for them to get back together and stay that way. They would use magic to build a new life for themselves together; the kind they had always dreamed of."

"But that wasn't what _you_ wanted, was it?" Bowser gathered.

"You kidding? I was just tagging along for the ride at that point. I had nowhere else to go."

"Well you're obviously not with them now. Why is that?" said Bowser as he prodded the issue further. He was unsettled by the cold despair in Leanna's eyes when she looked at him.

"Kitsune and my sister corrupted each other," she answered.

"'Corrupted?' What do you mean corrupted?"

"They became obsessed with magic and learning as much as they could. They tore into a bunch of these old books about some ancient magic society Kitsune had learned about in the time they had been apart. But even then, they had no idea what kind of powers they were messing around with. The two of them became obsessed with getting back at the world for all the pain it had caused them as children."

"But…you're not like that."

"It never felt right to me. I tried to get them to stop; I tried to talk some sense into my sister. But she wouldn't listen. She was too far gone; too blinded by her lust for power and her love for Kitsune. I'd had enough. So, I walked out of my sister's life forever. But not before I got a little parting gift…" Bowser's eyebrows rose slightly. He watched Leanna raise a few of her bangs to reveal a large scar on her forehead.

"Yikes…," Bowser commented.

"Since I wouldn't join them, this was Kitsune's little warning for me to stay out of their way."

"He thought you might come back and try something against them; for the sake of your sister," Bowser gathered.

"Yes. But it's not just any ordinary scar. It's a curse," said Leanna.

"A curse?" Bowser repeated. The woman nodded.

"Contemno messed with my head. I can't fully explain it, but somehow he physically removed his name from my memory."

"...What?"

"Remember how I said I used to remember his real name? Yeah, that was his doing. This curse he placed on me actually removed his real name from my memory. Try as I might, I can't actually remember his real name or face. Just everything else."

"That's...nuts!"

"Yeah, it is. He must've been afraid I'd use his real identity against him somehow. But this curse is no joke. No matter how much I've studied, I've never found a way to lift it. Until I do, it's something he'll always have over me. That, and my sister, of course."

"But…why didn't he just kill you back then? Why not get it over with quickly and be done with it?"

"Kitsune…," she hesitated, and her expression constricted itself in such a way so as to convey the reality that she just couldn't refer to him by that name any longer. "I mean…Contemno won't kill me because he _can't_ kill me, and he knows it."

"Why's that?"

"Because if he kills me, he loses the only thing he could possibly care about more than magic or himself: the love of his life."

"You don't mean…"

"You've been around Contemno for a few days, right? Does the name 'Eris' ring a bell?"

"That spooky chick in the evening gown?" Leanna nodded.

"Eris is my sister."

* * *

"Where in the world have you been!?" Contemno exclaimed as Topper and the Broodals solemnly entered the room; anticipating the eminent scolding.

"W-we was out lookin' for Bowsa's kid! J-just like you asked, soir!" Topper stammered as his fellow Broodals cowered behind him.

"Well, the very fact that they waltzed right into this castle and stole an airship speaks _volumes_ about your incompetence, doesn't it!?"

"P-please, soir! W-we'll get 'em! Honest!"

"Enough! You had your chance and you failed. Get out of my sight."

"R-right! W-we'll get back out there! We'll c-catch them before we lose da trail and-"

"No. You are to remain on stand-by until you receive further orders. Is that clear?"

"Y-yeah…crystal…"

"Then go!" The Broodals scurried out of the room together at lightning speed.

"What are you getting so worked up about? I already told you, this is no big deal," said Eris.

"Have you lost your mind!?" Contemno exclaimed as he sharply turned back at her. He winced in pain as she continued wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand. "How could you let them escape!? Do you have any _idea_ what will happen now!?"

"Who cares? I told them how it is. There's nowhere in the world they can go. It's just a matter of time before we catch them again."

"No, we-" Contemno paused and took a deep, albeit razor sharp breath as if he just barely stopped himself from saying something he knew he'd regret. "You're missing the point entirely," he settled on saying.

"How do you figure that?"

"It is not about _where_ they go. The problem is the very fact that they're still running around out there at all! I gave you one simple request: guard the castle, and if they come back, capture them. Yet you couldn't even do _that_ right!" Eris tightened the bandage aggressively to make Contemno wince again.

"Oh, _you're_ one to talk!" she snapped back. " _You_ had the 'simple' job of turning Mario over to our side, yet I don't seem him here now! On top of that, _you_ let Bowser get away after you preached about how valuable of a test subject he would be! So what does all of that say about _you_ as a leader then!?" Contemno suddenly stood up and backhanded Eris across the face with his good hand. She stumbled back a bit in shock and held her cheek.

"I WILL NOT HAVE _YOU_ QUESTIONING MY AUTHORITY TOO!" he roared.

"YOU WANT MY RESPECT!? HOW ABOUT YOU START EARNING IT THEN!" she fought back.

"I don't need your respect when I already have your loyalty." Her eyes widened at this. "Have you forgotten our entire history together until now? We made a commitment to each other, and as of late, you have done everything _except_ commit yourself to me."

Eris's breaths were short and inconsistent. She was still trying to get over the fact that he had just assaulted her out of the blue like that. Trembling, Eris fought valiantly to regain her composure. She couldn't break. Not now. Not again. Not ever.

"You…you _swore_ to me…that it would never turn out this way. That's what you told _me_!" said Eris as her voice shook. "I know you remember that. There's no way you could possibly forget. You gave up everything to be with me." Contemno sighed and shook his head.

"I know…," he said softly. "I didn't forget. I didn't have much to lose in the first place." The two paused and allowed the tension to dissipate before either one said anything more.

"Look, I know how important all of this is to you," said Eris. "I get it. I understand why you're scared. But you don't need to be. We won't let them take this away from you. I won't let them. Wherever they are, we _will_ find them. We'll get another chance. But for now, you can't let them get to you, Kitsune."

"Don't call me that…," said Contemno. "I discarded that worthless pet name long ago." Eris slowly raised her hand to Contemno's mask, but he gripped her wrist. "Now is not the time."

"What do you need from me?" Eris asked calmly.

Her heart was screaming and demanding an apology for what he'd just done to her just now. She was moments away from breaking down into tears. She needed him to make this right; to assure her that she'd made the right choice; and that all of this would still be worth it in the end. But Eris knew better than to expect that from Contemno or anyone else in the world for that matter. Her mind and logic smothered the sentiment.

Asking for an apology? How weak. Out of the question.

"Rest for now," Contemno instructed. "Regain your strength. Then send word to the others. Tell them to be on the lookout for Junior and his group. I now give them permission to kill those fools by any means necessary."

"What about you? Where are you going?" Eris asked.

"You're right. I did fail in my own mission to recruit Mario, and Bowser did escape," said Contemno. Eris's heart stopped.

What did he just say?

Was he actually acknowledging that she was right? He'd never done that. Was she not actually speaking out of term just now, or did he just not care? This came absolutely out of nowhere. What made him change his tune so quickly? Her mind was racing, but she fought to keep a straight face in front of him.

"I admit that you are not the only one who has failed. But you are right in that I cannot let this faze me. Without me, this entire operation will fall apart. I need to be better."

"You _are_ better. You don't need to prove anything to me."

"It is not you I need to win over. If I do not prove my worth soon, the others will turn against us in pursuit of their own ambitions. The world will plunge into chaos. A war will break out that will tear apart our very way of life. That's why I need to become stronger if we're going to have any chance of coming out on top of things in the coming weeks."

"Kitsune…"

"I need to meditate on this, Eris," said Contemno as he briskly walked towards the door. She chased him.

"Where are you going?" Eris asked.

"That is not your concern. Please do not send for me. I will return when the time is right."

"But what about Bowser's brat?"

"Forget about him."

"What? But earlier, you said they-"

"Focus on preparing yourself for when we cross paths with them again. Come up with a new strategy and send out the Broodals only when you are confident they will succeed." She breathed sharply and looked aimlessly around the room.

"That's a lot of responsibility for someone who just came off of flopping an important job…," Eris scoffed. Contemno approached her and caressed her bruised cheek.

She froze in fear; partially anticipating him to hit her again for questioning him like this. But to her shock, he didn't. His touch was tender; familiar.

"I know you can do this." Eris regained her composure in a flash and stepped back as her defensive eyes stared at Contemno.

"I…," she hesitated. "I won't let you down."

* * *

"YOUR SISTER!?" Bowser exclaimed. Leanna said nothing more. The Koopa King laid back in his seat and shook his head in disbelief and he let out a long breath as if he were deflating like a balloon. "I mean, that's just…"

"Now you get it. That bastard took the only family I ever had away from me. He's poisoning her, Bowser."

"Haven't you tried…I dunno, talking some sense into your sister?"

"I already told you, she won't listen. Eris is too far gone and too infatuated with Contemno. My sister is too blind to see that he's going to drag her down with him."

"So what're you gonna do then?" Leanna sipped the last of her coffee and stared out the window. Her drink had long since cooled off.

"Simple. I'm gonna kill him; no matter what it takes. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as us. I am going to put an end to that monster, even if it means putting my own sister down too…"

"All by yourself? You really think it'll be that easy?"

"I've managed so far."

"Maybe, but I hope you don't honestly expect us to just sit by and let _you_ take all the credit." Leanna raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why not? What's _your_ excuse for hating him?"

"He's humiliated me one too many times. If you think you're the only one who's got a personal grudge against him, you're wrong." Leanna laughed and stood up from the table.

"Sounds to me like we've reached an impasse. So what happens next?"

"You can start by helping Mario and me get out of Contemno's crazy little magic world."

"Why would I do that? I'm doing just fine on my own. I don't need you boys slowing me down."

"You said you were sorry Contemno got us involved in all this."

"Did I?"

"If you really meant that, then help us. It's obvious you know how, and we're clueless about this magic stuff. We'll never get out on our own." Leanna shot him a glare suddenly.

"You sure love bossing people around, don'tcha big guy?" Bowser smirked and closed his eyes.

"I'm a king. I'm used to giving out orders," he said proudly.

"Well you're a long way away from your little castle, tubby," said Leanna. "And I'm no subject of whatever kingdom you came from. Barking orders at me won't do anything except tick me off." This didn't seem to faze Bowser. In fact, he seemed rather excited by it. He enjoyed a hardy clash of wits.

"Lady, you haven't _seen_ anger until you've met me. In fact, call me 'tubby' one more time and I'll gladly show you why I'm in charge back home."

 _Heh…this guy…_ Leanna thought. _I thought he was just a push-over when I saw him weeping over his buddy back at the orphanage. Might not be the brightest, but he's got heart._ _Maybe he could be useful to me…_

"So, you really wanna take Contemno down that badly, huh?" Leanna asked.

"Of course I do. I've got my pride on the line, and more importantly, I made a promise to someone that I'd put a stop to this guy and bring Mario home," Bowser explained.

"A 'promise?'" she repeated. "Those don't mean squat to me."

"I'm sure they don't. You don't exactly have much reason to trust people, do you?" Leanna smiled.

 _Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks either. That, or he's just a good listener…_

"Alright, so let's say I were to agree and let you tag along. What's in it for me?" Leanna asked.

"How about protection? Some back-up? You really think you can take on Contemno and his cronies all by yourself?" Bowser countered.

"Sweetheart, I've been fighting Contemno a lot longer than you and I've stayed alive this long." Bowser sighed. It was hard to argue with that; even he realized it. The Koopa King resolved to back down slightly and gracefully. He had to show her he still had some fight left in him.

"Fine, if you won't take _me_ , then at least take Mario with you." They each looked over at Mario, who was still sleeping soundly on the table nearby.

"Why? What's so special about him?"

"Shows how little you know about us. He and I go way back," Bowser explained. "Mario may not look like much, but trust me, he's a powerhouse," he said. "If nothing else, he's persistent and doesn't go down easily. The guy has saved the world from a lot bigger threats than Contemno could _dream_ of being. Hell, I'd wager Mario can probably do this all on his own without either of us, given the right preparation."

"That's quite the glowing recommendation you're giving him," said Leanna.

"I know what I'm talking about here," said Bowser and he placed his arm down on the table and leaned forward with a stern look.

"Alright then, Mario might be a person of interest to me. But what about you? Why should I let _you_ in on my operation?"

"You don't know much about _me_ either. But besides that, I'm trapped in this stupid magic world with Mario. I've got my own stake in all this, and I plan on going after Contemno myself; with or without your help."

"Fair enough, but we both know you won't get far without any magic…," said Leanna as she pondered this. Bowser hesitated as she blew straight through his façade. "Fine, I'll help you two get out of Contemno's heart kingdom. If I think we've got a potential partnership in the making, we'll talk about it then. But if I think you're nothing more than dead weight, you'll be on your own after that. If it comes to that, I won't be responsible for whatever happens next should you be stupid enough to get in the crossfire when I'm taking aim at Contemno. Deal?" Bowser smirked and flashed his sharp teeth.

"Deal," he agreed as the two shook hands.

"Good. Now get some rest. I've got a couch in the back office you can use. Tomorrow morning, we've got work to do."


End file.
